Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Family Piseinotecidae Rank Species | Phylum Mollusca Superfamily Aeolidioidea Genus Piseinotecus | |
Piseinotecus gaditanus is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Piseinotecidae.
Contents
Distribution
This nudibranch was described from Cadiz, Spain. It has since been found in the Cape Verde Islands, the Canary Islands, Senegal and the Bay of Biscay north to the Bay of Arcachon, France.
Description
This piseinotecid nudibranch is translucent white in colour and reaches 12 mm in length. The tips of the rhinophores, oral tentacles and tail are tipped with white. The digestive gland in the cerata is red and there are large white spots all over the surfaces of the cerata. The buccal mass is bright pink-purple and shows through the skin and tissue of the head as two oval masses.
Ecology
Piseinotecus gaditanus feeds on hydroids. It has been reported eating Eudendrium species in the Bay of Arcachon. It has been found in rock pools on the shore and in shallow water with strong currents.