Cerberilla affinis

Cerberilla affinis is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.[2] It was described as a variety by Bergh, 1888 but elevated to species status by Burn, 1966.[3]

Cerberilla affinis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida
Superfamily:
Aeolidioidea
Family:
Aeolidiidae
Genus:
Cerberilla
Species:
C. affinis
Binomial name
Cerberilla affinis
Bergh, 1888[1]
Synonyms
  • Cerberilla annulata var. affinis Bergh, 1888 (Basionym)

Distribution

This species was described from Indonesia. It has been reported from localities in the Central Indo-Pacific region to Lord Howe Island, the eastern Australian mainland and New Caledonia and is probably widespread in the West Pacific.[4]

Description

All Cerberilla species have a broad foot and the cerata are long and numerous, arranged in transverse rows across the body. In this species the long oral tentacles have bands of dark blue and there is a narrow band of black on each of the cerata. Two species from the Indian Ocean, Cerberilla africana Eliot, 1903 (East Africa) and Cerberilla moebii (Bergh, 1888) - Mauritius are similar in colour.

Ecology

Species of Cerberilla live on and in sandy substrates where they burrow beneath the surface and feed on burrowing sea anemones.

References
  1. Bergh, L. S. R. 1888. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Aeolidiaden. IX. Verhandlungen der königlichkaiserlich Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien (Abhandlungen) 38:673-706, pls. 16-20.
  2. Bouchet, P. (2015). Cerberilla affinis. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-11-09
  3. Burn R (1966) Descriptions of Australian Eolidacea (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) 4. The genera Pleurolidia, Fiona, Learchis and Cerberilla from Lord Howe Island. J Malac Soc of Aust 10: 21–34.
  4. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (November 25) Cerberilla affinis Bergh, 1888. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  • Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. 1999. Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Leiden : Backhuys 257 pp.
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