Facelina auriculata
<p><em>Facelina auriculata</em> (O F Müller, 1776)</p>
Facelina auriculata
Distribution and status
Western Mediterranean to Norway. (GBIF map, obvious misplacement of some records inland.) Common all round Britain and Ireland on hard substrate sea beds and on rocky shores where food organisms occur. (UK interactive distribution map, N.B.N.)
Ecology and behaviour
Fairly frequent at LWS on rocky shores, but commonest below 15m. Feeds on Tubularia indivisa, (EML), Laomedea flexuosa and Obelia (EML). Simultaneous hermaphrodite. Spawn laid May to October as Grecian key line arranged in a spiral. Shelled veliger larvae drift as plankton before settling on the sea floor and transforming into adults.
Similar species
- Oesophagus visible behind the rhinophores.
- Broad, foot wider than body. [3Fb]
- Cerata long, linear, rather untidy and lack iridescence. (Occasionally, a small amount of iridescence on the head, or very rarely all over cerata) [3Fb].
- No white pigment splashes down cerata, apart from small patch near top [2Fb]. (Occasionally a minute light spot or two on front of cerata.)
- Rhinophore lamellae all complete disks.
- Slender sickle-shape propodial tentacles [2Fb].
Key identification features
- Coral pink oesophagus visible behind the rhinophore [2].
- Usually iridescence on cerata and, sometimes, on head and body [5].
- Very faint sandy [3] to orange brown [1] lamellae on rhinophores.
- White pigment marks down front of cerata [2].
- Slender, foot no wider than body.
- Cerata usually neatly swept back, each group only slightly overlaps the next behind.
- Rhinophore lamellae alternate complete / incomplete disk.
- Propodial extensions shorter and stouter than on F. bostoniensis.
References and links
Alder, J. & Hancock, A. 1845-1855. A monograph of the British nudibranchiate mollusca. London, Ray Society.
Anderson, J. Scottish nudibranchs (ScotNud) (Wide range of colour forms shown.)
Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H. 1984. Biology of opisthobranch molluscs 2. London, Ray Society.
Current taxonomy: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
Irish distribution maps & prey organisms:
Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010. Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland (EML).
Taxon version key
[NBNSYS0000175324]
Sort order
6260
Taxonomic group
Marine slug
Body (excluding appendages)