Frosted Nudibranch - Dirona albolineata
The Frosted Nudibranch is a common organisms found in the marine waters of coastal British Columbia.
A nudibranch is a member of one suborder of soft-bodied, shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, which are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. The suborder Nudibranchia is the largest suborder of heterobranchs, with more than 3,000 described species.
The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus, naked, and the Greek brankhia, gills.
Nudibranchs are often casually called "sea slugs", a non-scientific term. This has led some people to assume that every sea slug must be a nudibranch. Nudibranchs are very numerous in terms of species, and are often very attractive and noticeable, but there are a wide variety of other kinds of sea slugs, and these belong to several taxonomic groups that are not very closely related to nudibranchs. A fair number of these other sea slugs are colorful, and can be confused with nudibranchs.
These other marine shell-less gastropods or "sea slug" groups include additional heterobranch shell-less gastropod groups such as the Cephalaspidea sea slugs including the colorful Aglajidae, and other heterobranchs such as the Sacoglossa, the sea butterflies, the sea angels, and the often rather large sea hares. The term sea slug is also sometimes loosely applied to the only very distantly related, pelagic, caenogastropods within the superfamily Carinarioidea, and may also be casually used for the even more distantly related pulmonate sea slugs, the Onchidiidae.
The body forms of nudibranchs vary enormously, but because they are opisthobranchs, unlike most other gastropods they are bilaterally symmetrical because they have undergone secondary detorsion.
They lack a mantle cavity.
The adult form is without a shell or operculum (a bony or horny plate covering the opening of the shell, when the body is withdrawn).
The name nudibranch is appropriate, since the dorids (infraclass Anthobranchia) breathe through a branchial plume of bushy extremities on their back, rather than using gills. By contrast, on the back of the aeolids in infraclass Cladobranchia there are brightly colored sets of tentacles called cerata.
Nudibranchs have cephalic (head) tentacles, which are sensitive to touch, taste, and smell. Club-shaped rhinophores detect odors.
Common Names
Frosted Nudibranch,Alabaster Nudibranch, White-Lined Dirona, White-Line Dirona, Chalk-Lined Dirona, Chalk-Line Dirona, White-Streaked Dirona, White Nudibranch
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Family
Arminidae
Elevations
Lower Intertidal to -37m Chart Datum
Distribution
Japan, Siberia, Southern Alaska to Southern California
Community
Subtidal
Substrate
Bedrock, boulders, etc.
Feeding
This species has strong jaws which it uses to crush snails, its main source of prey. It also feeds on bryozoans, ascidians and sea anemones.
Size
They vary in adult size from 20 to 600 mm.
Description
It has white edging that highlights its form.
Wave-Exposure
Do not handle wave exposure well. Remain subtidal.
Habitat Significance
Not significant.
Mistaken Identity
Other sea slugs.
Typical Abundance
Not found in abundant clumps.
Protection
These animals are not protected. However, they are motile and subtidal.
Balanced Environmental Services Inc. does not authorize the reproduction of any images, documents or other information contained within. The environmental consulting information provided does not necessary reflect the views of those parties identified. Any copying in part or in whole of any of the information presented on this site is strictly prohibited without the written consent of Balanced Environmetnal Services Inc.
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The Frosted Nudibranch is a common organisms found in the marine waters of coastal British Columbia.
A nudibranch is a member of one suborder of soft-bodied, shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks, which are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. The suborder Nudibranchia is the largest suborder of heterobranchs, with more than 3,000 described species.
The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus, naked, and the Greek brankhia, gills.
Nudibranchs are often casually called "sea slugs", a non-scientific term. This has led some people to assume that every sea slug must be a nudibranch. Nudibranchs are very numerous in terms of species, and are often very attractive and noticeable, but there are a wide variety of other kinds of sea slugs, and these belong to several taxonomic groups that are not very closely related to nudibranchs. A fair number of these other sea slugs are colorful, and can be confused with nudibranchs.
These other marine shell-less gastropods or "sea slug" groups include additional heterobranch shell-less gastropod groups such as the Cephalaspidea sea slugs including the colorful Aglajidae, and other heterobranchs such as the Sacoglossa, the sea butterflies, the sea angels, and the often rather large sea hares. The term sea slug is also sometimes loosely applied to the only very distantly related, pelagic, caenogastropods within the superfamily Carinarioidea, and may also be casually used for the even more distantly related pulmonate sea slugs, the Onchidiidae.
The body forms of nudibranchs vary enormously, but because they are opisthobranchs, unlike most other gastropods they are bilaterally symmetrical because they have undergone secondary detorsion.
They lack a mantle cavity.
The adult form is without a shell or operculum (a bony or horny plate covering the opening of the shell, when the body is withdrawn).
The name nudibranch is appropriate, since the dorids (infraclass Anthobranchia) breathe through a branchial plume of bushy extremities on their back, rather than using gills. By contrast, on the back of the aeolids in infraclass Cladobranchia there are brightly colored sets of tentacles called cerata.
Nudibranchs have cephalic (head) tentacles, which are sensitive to touch, taste, and smell. Club-shaped rhinophores detect odors.
Common Names
Frosted Nudibranch,Alabaster Nudibranch, White-Lined Dirona, White-Line Dirona, Chalk-Lined Dirona, Chalk-Line Dirona, White-Streaked Dirona, White Nudibranch
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Family
Arminidae
Elevations
Lower Intertidal to -37m Chart Datum
Distribution
Japan, Siberia, Southern Alaska to Southern California
Community
Subtidal
Substrate
Bedrock, boulders, etc.
Feeding
This species has strong jaws which it uses to crush snails, its main source of prey. It also feeds on bryozoans, ascidians and sea anemones.
Size
They vary in adult size from 20 to 600 mm.
Description
It has white edging that highlights its form.
Wave-Exposure
Do not handle wave exposure well. Remain subtidal.
Habitat Significance
Not significant.
Mistaken Identity
Other sea slugs.
Typical Abundance
Not found in abundant clumps.
Protection
These animals are not protected. However, they are motile and subtidal.
Balanced Environmental Services Inc. does not authorize the reproduction of any images, documents or other information contained within. The environmental consulting information provided does not necessary reflect the views of those parties identified. Any copying in part or in whole of any of the information presented on this site is strictly prohibited without the written consent of Balanced Environmetnal Services Inc.
Employee Login