Okenia echinata explained

Okenia echinata is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.^[1]

Distribution

This species was described from Sagami Bay, Japan. Similar looking animals have been reported from Australia and India.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Rosenberg, G. (2015). Okenia echinata Baba, 1949. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-23
2. http://www.umiushi-zukan.com/main/disp_pic.php?pic_id=21771 Okenia echinata.
3. Rudman, W.B., 2004 (December 21) Okenia echinata Baba, 1949. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

   Description

   This Okenia has a broad body and many short, triangular, pointed, lateral papillae. There are scattered, shorter, papillae on the back, between the rhinophores and the gills and in front of the rhinophores. The body is described as uniformly brown with small spots of white pigment. Recent finds from Japan show body colour is variable through red to orange and the papillae have orange tips.

   Ecology

   The diet of this species is probably a ctenostome bryozoan.^[2]

   References