MOLLUSCA : NUDIBRANCHIA : Polyceridae | SNAILS, SLUGS, ETC. |
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Greilada elegans |
Description: This distinctive species is orange in colour with brilliant blue iridescent spots. The gills are robust with iridescent blue-green lines along their ribs. The head may bear up to 22 finger-like processes. The maximum recorded length for this species is 48mm.
Habitat: G. elegans feeds preferentially on the Bryozoan species Bugula turbinata but has also been reported to feed on other species of Bugula.
Distribution: Records of this species are from Kilkieran Bay, Co Galway; Sheep Haven, Co Donegal; Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire; Lundy, South Cornwall and the Mediterranean.
Similar Species: The spectacular colour of this nudibranch readily distinguishes it from any other in the British Isles.
Key Identification Features:
Distribution Map: NBN map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.
WoRMS: Species record : World Register of Marine Species.
iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database
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Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2016). Greilada elegans Bergh, 1894. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. https://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=W13670 Accessed on 2025-04-22 |
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