Tenellia luciae

Tenellia luciae is a species of sea slugs, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Fionidae.

Tenellia luciae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida
Superfamily:
Fionoidea
Family:
Fionidae
Genus:
Tenellia
Species:
T. luciae
Binomial name
Tenellia luciae
Valdés, Medrano & Bhave, 2016[1]

Etymology

The specific name luciae is in honour of Lucı́a Valdés, the daughter of malacologist Ángel Valdés.[1] The type specimens are stored in the Museo de Malacologı́a, University of Panama and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.[1]

Distribution

The type locality of this species is Crawl Cay, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama.[1] The distribution includes the area from Florida to Panama.[1] It may possibly also live in Brazil.[1]

Description

The body length is up to 12 mm. It has yellow cerata. Each ceras has one blue band. The oral tentacles are orange and there is a blue band on the head. The reproductive system contains a penial stylet.[1]

Tenellia caerulea is a similar species. They differ in the radula, jaw and reproductive system.[1] Tenellia herrerai is another similar species. It differs in the radula and in coloration. Tenellia herrerai has no orange oral tentacles and it has no blue band on the head.[1] Tenellia iris is also similar to Tenellia luciae.[1]

Ecology

Cuthona luciae was found on unidentified hydroids. These may be its prey, because hydroids are also the prey of other Cuthona species. It was recorded from a depth of 1 m.[1]

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References
  1. Valdés A., Medrano S. & Bhave V. (2016). "A new species of Cuthona Alder and Hancock, 1855 (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Nudibranchia: Tergipedidae) from the Caribbean Sea". The Nautilus 130(2): 72-78.
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