Janolus fuscus

Janolus fuscus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
Family: Proctonotidae
Genus: Janolus
Species: J. fuscus
Binomial name
Janolus fuscus

Janolus fuscus is a species of sea slug, or more accurately a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Proctonotidae.

Distribution

The species Janolus fuscus is found from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska to central California and also in northern Japan.[1]

Habitat

This species of nudibranch is found in shallow and subtidal waters.

Description

Janolus fuscus, head end towards the top

The bodies of nudibranchs in this species are semi-translucent. The body is covered in short cerata. In Janolus fuscus the cerata are orange and white tipped.

Life habits

Janolus species feed on Bryozoa.

Janolus fuscus

Predators

In California, Navanax is a known predator of Janolus. Navanax tracks the slime of Janolus by using chemoreceptors. When Janolus is about to be caught, it rolls into a ball, leaving its cerata exposed. If there is a water current, as if often the case, the sea slug may then be passively rolled away from the predator.

References

  1. ↑ "Janolus fuscus". Sea Slug Forum. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2006.
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