Microchlamylla gracilis

Microchlamylla gracilis
The nudibranch Microchlamylla gracilis, Gulen Dive Centre, Norway.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Nudibranchia
Suborder:	Cladobranchia
Superfamily:	Fionoidea
Family:	Flabellinidae
Genus:	Microchlamylla
Species:	M. gracilis
Binomial name
Microchlamylla gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Eolis gracilis Alder & Hancock, 1844 Coryphella gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844) Flabellina gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844) Coryphella rufibranchialis var. clavigera Odhner, 1929 Eolis smaragdina Alder & Hancock, 1851

Microchlamylla gracilis, sometimes known by the common name slender eolis, is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Flabellinidae.[2]

Distribution

This species was described from Cullercoats, North Sea. It is a fairly common species found in current-swept sites from northern France to Norway and Iceland. It is also reported from the East coast of North America from Newfoundland south to New England.[3]

Description

This Microchlamylla has a narrow body and cerata in well defined clusters. The cerata have a narrow band of white pigment at the tip which is often broken into spots. Mature animals typically measure 12–15 mm in length.[4] The maximum recorded body length is 25 mm.[5]

Ecology

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.[5] Maximum recorded depth is 33 m.[5]

The diet of this species is hydroids of the genus Eudendrium.

References

1. Alder J. & Hancock A. (1844). Description of a new genus of nudibranchiate Mollusca, with some new species of Eolis. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13: 161-167, p.166.
2. Picton, B. (2017). Microchlamylla gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844). In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed on 2017-12-20
3. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (August 28) Flabellina gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
4. Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010. Microchlamylla gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844) [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
5. Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.