''Tergipes'' 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 ...
of
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
aeolid 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,
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 ...
s 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 ...
Tergipedidae
Tergipedidae is a family of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, and marine gastropod mollusc
Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant ...
.
''Tergipes'' is the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...
of the family Tergipedidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Tergipes'' include:
* ''
Tergipes antarcticus''
Pelseneer, 1903
* ''
Tergipes edwardsii''
Nordmann, 1844
* ''
Tergipes tergipes''
(Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775)
Species names currently considered to be synonyms:
* ''Tergipes adspersus''
Nordmann, 1845 synonym of ''
Tenellia adspersa''
(Nordmann, 1845)
* ''Tergipes affinis''
d'Orbigny, 1837 synonym of ''
Doto affinis''
(d'Orbigny, 1837)
* ''Tergipes capellinii''
Trinchese, 1879 synonym of ''
Eubranchus capellinii''
(Trinchese, 1879)
* ''Tergipes despectus''
(Johnston, 1835) synonym of ''
Tergipes tergipes''
(Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775)
* ''Tergipes doriae''
(Trinchese, 1874) synonym of ''
Capellinia doriae''
(Trinchese, 1874)
* ''Tergipes fustifer''
Lovén, 1846 synonym of ''
Capellinia fustifera''
(Lovén, 1846)
* ''Tergipes lacinulatus''
de Blainville, 1824 synonym of ''
Tergipes tergipes''
(Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775)
* ''Tergipes lacinulatus''
(Gmelin, 1791) synonym of ''
Doris lacinulata''
Gmelin, 1791
* ''Tergipes pulcher''
Johnston, 1834 synonym of ''
Limacia clavigera''
(O. F. Müller, 1776)
* ''Tergipes rupium''
Møller, 1842 synonym of ''
Eubranchus rupium''
(Møller, 1842)
* ''Tergipes valentini''
(Eliot, 1907) synonym of ''
Cuthona valentini''
Ecology
Species of ''Tergipes'' feed 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, ...
, as reflected by the serrated
radula
The radula (; : radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by mollusks for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters ...
.
A recent study showed that ''Tergipes tergipes'' is an
amphi-atlantic species.
[Cámara, S., Carmona, L., Cella, K., Ekimova, I., Martynov, A., & Cervera, J. L., (2014)]
''Tergipes tergipes'' (Förskal, 1775) (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) is an amphiatlantic species.
Journal of Molluscan Studies (2014) 80: 642–646. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyu015
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7702351
Tergipedidae
Taxa named by Georges Cuvier