The alabaster nudibranch, white-lined Dirona, or frosted sea slug (''Dirona albolineata'') is an Eastern Pacific Ocean

opisthobranch Opisthobranchs () is now an informal name for a large and diverse group of specialized complex gastropods which used to be united in the subclass Opisthobranchia. That taxon is no longer considered to represent a monophyletic grouping. Euopisth ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk in the family

Dironidae Dironidae is a family of nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant spec ...

.WoRMS World Register of Marine Species
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Distribution

This species occurs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to San Diego, California.

Description

''Dirona albolineata'' can reach a length of about . This species, like others in the genus, is translucent with large, broad and quite flat cerata. In these nudibranchs the cerata lack cnidosacs. The most common ''D. albolineata'' is translucent with opalescent white outlining the cerata and the midline of the tail, but the color varies from white through rose pink, pale orange, lavender to a rufous shade.Sea Slug Forum
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Biology

These nudibranchs are carnivores that feed on a wide variety of prey, mostly on bryozoans, on small crustaceans, hydroids, ascidians, and snails. They can be found all the year around in the shallow subtidal cold waters, at depths of 0 to 28 m. They are simultaneous hermaphrodites. Consequently both individuals darts their penis to penetrate the body of the other, then both act simultaneously as male and female.Sealife
/ref> Spawning occurs in both the winter and summer.

Gallery

File:Dirona albolineata 1.jpg, ''Dirona albolineata'' File:Dirona albolineata (1176573591).jpg, ''D. albolineata'' at

Sund Rock Sund Rock is a designated conservation area on the U.S. state of Washington's Hood Canal. The area is known for abundant and diverse life, including but not limited to Lingcod, Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel, as well as nudibranch, anemone, and ...

File:Mating Dirona albolineata 3 (517100658).jpg, Mating couple File:Dironidae - Dirona albolineata.webm, Video clip

Bibliography

*Gary R. McDonald, University of California Santa Cruz, Nudibranch Systematic Index, University of California Santa Cruz, in Institute of Marine Sciences *Behrens, David W. 1991. Pacific Coast Nudibranchs. Sea Challengers: Monterey, California. *Goddard, J.H.R. 1998. A summary of the prey of nudibranch molluscs from Cape Arago, Oregon. Opisthobranch Newsletter, 24: 11-14. *Robilliard, G.A. (1971) Predation by the nudibranch Dirona albolineata on three species of prosobranchs. Pacific Science, 25: 429-435. *Turgeon, D. D., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, W. K. Emerson, W. G. Lyons, W. Pratt, et al. (1988) Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks, American Fisheries Society Special Publication 16 *Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, et al. (1998) Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks, 2nd ed., American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26

External links

iNaturalistD. albolineata from Oregon at Youtube

References

Dironidae Gastropods described in 1905 Articles containing video clips {{Dironidae-stub