''Phyllodesmium longicirrum'',

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

the solar-powered phyllodesmium, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

sea slug Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails (marine gastropod mollusks) that over evolutionary ...

, an aeolid

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to mat ...

, a

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod mollusc in the family

Facelinidae The Facelinidae are a taxonomic family of colorful sea slugs. These are specifically aeolid nudibranchs. They are marine gastropod molluscs.Bouchet, P. (2012). Facelinidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinesp ...

Distribution

The distribution of ''Phyllodesmium longicirrum'' includes Australia and Indonesia.Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 11
''Phyllodesmium longicirrum'' (Bergh, 1905).
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

Description

This is a very large species, growing to at least 140 mm. ''Phyllodesmium longicirrum'' contains photosynthetic

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae is a colloquial term for single-celled dinoflagellates that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including demosponges, corals, jellyfish, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthellae are in the genus '' ...

, which allow it to draw energy from sunlight, hence its common name, the solar-powered phyllodesmium.Rudman W. B. (1981). "The anatomy and biology of alcyonarian-feeding aeolid opisthobranch molluscs and their development of symbiosis with zooxanthellae". ''

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society The ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering zoology published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Linnean Society. The editor-in-chief is Maarten Christenhusz (Linnean Society). ...

'' 72(3): 219-262. . This is actually a misleading name, as several other species of ''

Phyllodesmium ''Phyllodesmium'' is a genus of predatory sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Facelinidae.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Phyllodesmium'' Ehrenberg, 1831. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://w ...

'' are also capable of

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

, although this is developed to the greatest extreme in this species.Rudman W. B. (1991). "Further studies on the taxonomy and biology of the octocoral-feeding genus ''Phyllodesmium'' Ehrenberg, 1831 (Nudibranchia: Aeolidacea)". ''Journal of Molluscan Studies'' 57(2): 167–203
abstract
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 11
Solar-powered sea slugs.
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

Ecology

''Phyllodesmium longicirrum'' feeds on soft coral ''

Sarcophyton trocheliophorum ''Sarcophyton'' is the scientific name of several genera of organisms and may refer to: * Sarcophyton (plant), ''Sarcophyton'' (plant), a genus of plants in the family Orchidaceae * Sarcophyton (coral), ''Sarcophyton'' (coral), a genus of corals ...

'' (family

Alcyoniidae Alcyoniidae is a family of leathery or soft corals in the phylum Cnidaria.Leathery co ...

References

External links

''Phyllodesmium longicirrum'' at Slug Site, Miller, M.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3381935 Facelinidae Gastropods described in 1905