Caloria elegans is a species of colorful sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.

Caloria elegans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Cladobranchia
Family: Facelinidae
Genus: Caloria
Species:
C. elegans
Binomial name
Caloria elegans
(Alder & Hancock, 1845)
Synonyms[1]
  • Caloria maculata Trinchese, 1888 (type species)
  • Eolis elegans Alder & Hancock, 1845 (basionym)

Taxonomy

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Facelina quatrefagesi was considered as a synonym of Caloria elegans, but it is morphologically very similar and different valid species.[2]

Description

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The size of the body varies between 20 mm and 35 mm.

Distribution

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This marine species occurs in European waters from the British Isles to the Mediterranean Sea; also off the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira.

References

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  1. ^ Gofas, S. (2004). Caloria elegans. In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139906 on 2017-10-07
  2. ^ Furfaro G., Mariottini P., Modica M. V., Trainito E., Doneddu M. & Oliverio M. (2016). "Sympatric sibling species: the case of Caloria elegans and Facelina quatrefagesi (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia)". Sci. Mar. 80(4): 511-520. doi:10.3989/scimar.04479.09A.
  • Alder J. & Hancock A., 1845: Notice of a new genus and several new species of nudibranchiate Mollusca; Annals and Magazine of Natural History 16: 311-316
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels. 50: pp. 180–213.
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