Black nudibranch

Black nudibranch
A live individual of Tambja capensis, head end towards the left
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily: Polyceroidea
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
Genus: Tambja
Species: T. capensis
Binomial name
Tambja capensis
(Bergh, 1907)
Synonyms[1]

Nembrotha capensis Bergh, 1907

The black nudibranch, scientific name Tambja capensis, is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species is endemic to South Africa.[1]

Distribution

This species is endemic to the South African coast, being found from the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth from the shallow subtidal to at least 30 m.[2]

Description

The brown morph of the black nudibranch

The black nudibranch is a large (up to 80 mm) deep-bodied nudibranch. It is easily recognised because of its blue-black colour and bright turquoise marginal line. Some specimens are brownish with a purple marginal line. Its gills and rhinophores are black.[3]

Ecology

The egg ribbon of the black nudibranch

The black nudibranch feeds on tree-like bryozoans. Its egg ribbon is a bright yellow rose-like spiral.

References

  1. 1 2 WoRMS : Tambja capensis accessed : 13 October 2010
  2. ↑ GOSLINER, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
  3. ↑ ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3
  • Pola M., Cervera J.L. & Gosliner T.M. (2006) Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the genus Tambja Burn, 1962 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Polyceridae). Zoologica Scripta 35(5):491-530
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