Clione antarctica explained

Clione antarctica is a species of "sea angel", a sea slug, a pelagic marine gastropod mollusk in the family Clionidae, the "sea angels".

Distribution

The distribution of Clione antarctica is within the Southern Hemisphere, in the polar waters of Antarctica.^[1]

Description

The body length of this species is .^[2]

Ecology

Clione antarctica is an important component of polar ecosystems. It preys upon Limacina antarctica^[3] It is itself eaten by the medusa Diplulmaris antarctica.^[4] C. antarctica has a large lipid storage capacity: up to 5% of its wet mass.^[5] It is able to survive without food for about six months by utilizing these lipid storage reserves.^[5] Clione antarctica lays eggs in the spring.^[5]

This species defends itself from predators by synthesizing an ichthyodeterrent (a chemical that deters fishes); this is a previously unknown molecule called pteroenone.^[6] The sea angel acts as a "guest" for the hyperiid amphipod Hyperiella dilatata, which takes advantage of the protection provided by the gastropod's icthyodeterrent.^[6]

References

1. [William B. Rudman|Rudman, W. B.]
2. Book: McClintock, J.B. . B.J. Baker . 1997 . Marine Chemical Ecology . CRC Press . 215 . 0-8493-9064-8 .
3. Whitehead . K.. Karentz . D. . Hedges . J. . 10.1007/s002270100654 . Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in phytoplankton, a herbivorous pteropod (Limacina helicina), and its pteropod predator (Clione antarctica) in McMurdo Bay, Antarctica . Marine Biology . 139 . 5 . 1013 . 2001 .
4. Larson . R. J. . Harbison . G. R. . 10.1007/BF00236517 . Medusae from Mcmurdo Sound, Ross Sea including the descriptions of two new species, Leuckartiara brownei and Benthocodon hyalinus . Polar Biology . 11 . 1990 .
5. Seibel . B. A. . Dierssen . H. M. . Cascading trophic impacts of reduced biomass in the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Just the tip of the iceberg? . The Biological Bulletin . 205 . 2 . 93–97 . 2003 . 14583506 . 10.2307/1543229. 1543229 . .
6. 10.1021/jo00108a057. Pteroenone: A Defensive Metabolite of the Abducted Antarctic Pteropod Clione antarctica. The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 60. 3. 780. 1995. Yoshida . W. Y. . Bryan . P. J. . Baker . B. J. . McClintock . J. B. .

External links

• Bryan P. J., Yoshida W. Y., McClintock J. B. & Baker B. J. (1995). "Ecological role for pteroenone, a novel antifeedant from the conspicuous antarctic pteropod Clione antarctica (Gymnosomata: Gastropoda)". Marine Biology 122: 271-277.
• Gilmer R. W. & Lalli C. M. (1990). "Bipolar variation in Clione, a gymnosomatous pteropod". Am. Malacol. Union Bull. 8(1): 67-75.
• Nakamura . Y. . Kiyota . H. . Baker . B. J. . Kuwahara . S. . First Synthesis of (+)-Pteroenone: A Defensive Metabolite of the Abducted Antarctic Pteropod Clione antarctica . 10.1002/chin.200532193 . ChemInform . 36 . 32 . 2005.
• Yoshida . W. Y. . Bryan . P. J. . Baker . B. J. . McClintock . J. B. . ChemInform Abstract: Pteroenone: A Defensive Metabolite of the Abducted Antarctic Pteropod Clione antarctica . 10.1002/chin.199529325 . ChemInform . 26 . 29 . no . 2010 .