Bosellia mimetica

Bosellia mimetica is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Boselliidae.

Bosellia
Bosellia mimetica on Halimeda tuna. Locality: Mediterranean Sea. The length of the slug is about 1 cm.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Sacoglossa
clade Plakobranchacea
Superfamily:
Plakobranchoidea
Family:
Boselliidae
Genus:
Bosellia
Species:
B. mimetica
Binomial name
Bosellia mimetica
Trinchese, 1890

The type locality is the island of Capri, in Italy.[1]

Description

Bosellia mimetica is a very small sea slug growing to less than 1 centimetre (0.39 in) in length. It has a rounded, flattened body and is a mottled green, a colour that mimics that of the algae Halimeda tuna and Udotea petiolata on which it lives and feeds.[2]

Distribution

Bosellia mimetica is found in shallow water in the Mediterranean Sea, on the Atlantic coast of Spain, in the Caribbean Sea and south to Brazil.[2]

References
  1. Jensen K. R. (November 2007). "Biogeography of the Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia)" Archived 2013-10-05 at the Wayback Machine. Bonner zoologische Beiträge 55(2006)(3-4): 255–281.
  2. Bosellia mimetica Trinchese, 1890 The Sea Slug Forum. Retrieved 2012-01-22.


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