Melibe viridis explained

Melibe viridis is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tethydidae.^[1]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Andaman Sea off Phuket, off Mozambique and off Indonesia. Its habitat is sandy and muddy areas between 3 m and 15 m deep.

Description

The body reaches a length of 140 mm. Like some other nudibranch species, M. viridis has an oral veil that it uses to trap prey.^{[2] [3] [4]} This species has a particular morphology that easily distinguishes it from other nudibranchs. The body is elongated, beige to brown in color. The Melibe has a number of pairs of ceratas along the body, each of which acts as a gill. The ceratas are often darker in color than the body, sometimes with an orange apical part, their size decreasing towards the anterior part.

References

• MacNae, W. & M. Kalk (eds) (1958). A natural history of Inhaca Island, Mozambique. Witwatersrand Univ. Press, Johannesburg. I-iv, 163 pp.
• Gosliner T.M. (1987) Review of the nudibranch genus Melibe (Opisthobranchia: Dendronotacea) with descriptions of two new species. The Veliger 29(4): 400–414
• 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
• Streftaris, N.; Zenetos, A.; Papathanassiou, E. (2005). Globalisation in marine ecosystems: the story of non-indigenous marine species across European seas. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Annu. Rev. 43: 419–453
• Gosliner T.M. & Smith V.G. (2003) Systematic review and phylogenetic analysis of the nudibranch genus Melibe (Opisthobranchia: Dendronotacea) with descriptions of three new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 54: 302–356.
• Gosliner T.M., Behrens D.W. & Valdés A. (2008) Indo-Pacific nudibranchs and sea slugs. Sea Challengers Natural History Books and California Academy of Sciences. 426 pp.

External links

• • Melibe viridis | World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 5 December 2023
• Melibe viridis | Sea Slug Forum. Retrieved 5 December 2023
• Melibe japonica | Sea Slug Forum. Retrieved 5 December 2023
  • • Ben G Thomas (Feb 8, 2021) Melibe viridis - Animal of the Week Youtube video 5:31

Notes and References

1. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Melibe viridis (Kelaart, 1858). www.marinespecies.org.
2. Wyeth. Russell C.. Willows. A. O. Dennis. April 2006. Field Behavior of the Nudibranch Mollusc Tritonia diomedea. The Biological Bulletin. en. 210. 2. 81–96. 10.2307/4134598. 4134598 . 16641514 . 877812 . 0006-3185.
3. Web site: nudibranch with large cerata and hood veil and papillae or low conical tubercle. 2021-12-06. seaslugs.free.fr.
4. Web site: Rudman . W. B. . 2010-07-15 . The Sea Slug Forum - Melibe viridis . 2021-12-06 . www.seaslugforum.net . Australian Museum . New South Wales . en.