The knobbly nudibranch, ''Aegires ninguis'', is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
dorid
''Doridacea'' is a taxonomic grouping of dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdes A. & Warén A. 2005''Classification and nomenclator of gastropod familie ...
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 ...
. It is a
marine gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...
mollusc
Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Aegiridae
Aegiridae is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), superfamily Polyceroidea.Bouchet, P. (2015)Aegiridae Odhner, 1941.In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed ...
.
Distribution
This species is found off the
South African coast from the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth. It is found from the intertidal to at least 30 m. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
.
Description
The knobbly nudibranch is a small (up to 15 mm) white-bodied dorid with numerous knobbles projecting from its body. Its
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 ...
s emerge from knobbled sheaths.
[ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. ''Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay''. ]
Ecology
This species may feed on encrusting sponges.
References
External links
* Willan, R. (2016
''Aegires ninguis''.At Nudipixel, accessed 2016-01-07.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3173820
Aegiridae
Gastropods described in 2004