MOLLUSCA : NUDIBRANCHIA : Facelinidae | SNAILS, SLUGS, ETC. |
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Facelina dubia |
Description: The body is translucent white with a pinkish hue over the head and tentacles. The red oesophagus is visible through the epidermis. Often there is a small patch of white pigment between the rhinophores. White speckling is present on the head, tentacles and cerata. The tips of the cerata are covered with yellow/white pigment. The oral tentacles are very long and mobile and the rhinophores are smooth. Adult specimens usually range in length between 17-38mm.
Habitat: Thought to feed on Tubularia larynx and possibly other hydroids.
Distribution: The only British records are from Lough Hyne, SW Ireland, elsewhere it has been reported from Arcachon in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea. A record of this southern species from Denmark must be considered doubtful.
Similar Species: Facelina bostoniensis is similar, but the annulate rhinophores of F. bostoniensis distinguish it from F. dubia.
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
Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2016). Facelina dubia Pruvot-Fol, 1949. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. https://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=W15280 Accessed on 2023-12-10 |
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