Pleurobranchaea bubala, the warty pleurobranch, is a species of sea slug, specifically a sidegill slug or notaspidean. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchaeidae.
| Pleurobranchaea bubala | |
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| A close-up of Pleurobranchaea bubula, head towards the left | |
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| Species: | P. bubala
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| Binomial name | |
| Pleurobranchaea bubala Marcus & Gosliner, 1984
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Distribution
editThis species is endemic to the South African coast and is found only from Hout Bay to Jeffreys Bay[1] in 5–30 m of water.[2]
Description
editPleurobranchaea bubala has an oval sandy-coloured body with large opaque white bumps on the notum. It has a spade-shaped head and two widely separated rhinophores. There is a single gill on right hand side of body. It can be confused with Pleurobranchaea tarda, which is smaller, has smoother skin, and can be found in deeper water.[1]
Ecology
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This pleurobranch is a voracious predator on other opisthobranchs. It has been seen eating smaller individuals of the same species.[1] Its egg ribbon is a sizeable roll of several white loops.
References
edit- ^ a b c Gosliner, T. M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
- ^ Zsilavecz, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3