''Bornella'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

sea slug Sea slug is a common name for some Marine biology, marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial Slug, slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are gastropods, i.e. they are Sea snail, sea snails (marine gastropod moll ...

s, specifically dendronotid

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs, belonging to the order Nudibranchia, that shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have b ...

s in the family

Bornellidae ''Bornellidae'' is a family of nudibranch sea slug - marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Dendronotoidea. This family is within the clade Cladobranchia (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). Descript ...

. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on

hydroids Hydroids are a life stage for most animals of the class Hydrozoa, small predators related to jellyfish. Some hydroids such as the freshwater '' Hydra'' are solitary, with the polyp attached directly to the substrate. When these produce buds, ...

Distribution

These nudibranchs occur in the

Indo-West Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the s ...

. In addition there is one species in the tropical eastern Pacific, and one species in the western Atlantic.

Description

Their body is covered with cerata-like dorsal and lateral outgrowths, with finger-like branches. They have an attached cluster of

gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...

s. Their rounded head shows on each side of the mouth a

tentacle In zoology, a tentacle is a flexible, mobile, and elongated organ present in some species of animals, most of them invertebrates. In animal anatomy, tentacles usually occur in one or more pairs. Anatomically, the tentacles of animals work main ...

, with tiny finger-like papillae. The sheath of the

rhinophore A rhinophore is one of a pair of Chemoreceptor, chemosensory club-shaped, rod-shaped or ear-like structures which are the most prominent part of the external head anatomy in sea slugs, Marine (ocean), marine gastropod opisthobranch mollusks suc ...

stands high and resembles the dorsal processes. Feeds on hydroids. The various species differ in their color pattern and their number of dorsal and lateral outgrowths and the number of branches on their rhinophore sheath.

Anatomy

These nudibranchs are characterized by an unpaired oral

gland A gland is a Cell (biology), cell or an Organ (biology), organ in an animal's body that produces and secretes different substances that the organism needs, either into the bloodstream or into a body cavity or outer surface. A gland may also funct ...

. In their genital system, the male duct is separate from the female duct.

Species

Species within this genus include:Bouchet, P. (2015)
''Bornella'' Gray, 1850.
In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2016-02-10. * ''

Bornella anguilla ''Bornella anguilla'' is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Bornellidae. This species is widely distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific. This species A species () is ...

'' Johnson, 1984 * '' Bornella calcarata'' Mörch, 1863 * ''

Bornella dotoides ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hydroids. Distr ...

'' Pola, Rudman & Gosliner, 2009 * ''

Bornella excepta ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hydroids. Distr ...

'' Bergh, 1884 * ''

Bornella hermanni ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically Dendronotida, dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hyd ...

'' Angas, 1864 (synonym : ''Bornella. japonica'' Baba, 1949 ) * ''

Bornella irvingi ''Bornella irvingi'' is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Bornellidae.Bouchet, P. (2015)Bornella irvingi Edmunds & Preece, 1996.In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of M ...

'' Edmunds and Preece, 1996 * ''

Bornella johnsonorum ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hydroids. Distr ...

'' Pola, Rudman & Gosliner, 2009 * ''

Bornella pele ''Bornella pele'' is a species of nudibranch in the family Bornellidae. It is found in waters off Hawaiʻi, Australia, Japan, French Polynesia, and Réunion. The species epithet derives from Pele, the Hawaiian god of volcanoes, due to the nudibr ...

'' Pola, Rudman & Gosliner, 2009 * ''

Bornella sarape ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hydroids. Distr ...

'' Bertsch, 1980. * ''

Bornella simplex ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hydroids. Distr ...

'' Eliot, 1904 * ''

Bornella stellifer ''Bornella stellifer'' is a species of colorful sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Bornellidae. References *Pola, M., Rudman, W. B. & Gosliner, T. M. (2009). "Systematics and preliminary phylogeny of Bornellidae ...

'' (Adams and Reeve in Adams, 1848) (synonyms : ''Bornella hancockana'' Kelaart, 1859 , ''Bornella arborescens'' Pease, 1871 , ''Bornella caledonica'' Crosse, 1875 , ''Bornella marmorata'' Collingwood, 1881 ) * ''

Bornella valdae ''Bornella'' is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs in the family Bornellidae. There has not been much research on this genus. Their biology is mostly unknown, except that they seem to feed exclusively on hydroids. Distr ...

'' Pola, Rudman & Gosliner, 2009 Invalid species names include: * ''B. semperi'' Crosse 1875 (nomen nudum)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3642687 Gastropod genera Bornellidae Taxa named by John Edward Gray