Felimare fontandraui explained

Felimare fontandraui is a species of colourful dorid nudibranch, a type of sea slug, in the family Chromodorididae.^{[1] [2]}

Distribution

This nudibranch is known from the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Western Mediterranean.^[3]

Description

Felimare fontandraui typically has a blue to purple body with yellow lines running down its sides and a single yellow-cream line on its upper dorsum. The upper dorsum is also often marked with light blue streaks near the mantle edge. Its mantle is edged in orange and it has black-purple gills and rhinophores. There is considerable colour variation within this species.^{[4] [5]}

This species can reach a total length of at least 30 mm and has been observed feeding on yellow sponges from the genus Dysidea.^[3]

Notes and References

1. MolluscaBase (2018). Felimare fontandraui (Pruvot-Fol, 1951). Accessed on 2019-01-02
2. Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479
3. Rudman, W.B., 2001 (October 5) Hypselodoris fontandraui (Pruvot-Fol, 1951). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
4. Ortea, J., Valdés, A. & García-Gómez, J.C. (1996) 'Revisión de las especies atlánticas de la familia Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) de grupo cromático azul. (Review of the Atlantic species of the family Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) of the blue chromatic group.)' Avicennia, 1996, Suppl. 1: 1-165.
5. Pontes, M., 2018. Felimare fontandraui page at OPK-Opistobranquis.