Tethys fimbria explained

Tethys fimbria is a species of predatory sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tethydidae.

ICZN opinion 200 ruled that Tethys fimbria is a valid name and Tethys leporina Linnaeus, 1758 is a synonym.^[1]

Distribution

The distribution of Tethys fimbria includes the Mediterranean Sea and the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal in the north, to the Gulf of Guinea in the south.

Description

The length of the body of Tethys fimbria can reach up to 30cm (10inches). Tethys fimbria is translucent, but it has dark spots on its cerata. It has a broad oral hood in the frontal part of its body. Rhinophores are small. Tethys fimbria has no radula as is the case in all members of the family Tethydidae.

Ecology

The habitat of Tethys fimbria is seas which have sand or mud on the bottom, in depths from 20 to 150 m.

Tethys fimbria captures and feeds on small crustaceans. It uses its broad hood for catching them.

The cerata can be self-amputated (autotomy) as a defence mechanism when the slug is in danger.

Within the mantle large amounts of prostaglandins are produced.^[2] Subsequently the prostoglandins are moved to the cerata.^[2] The biosynthesis of prostgandins has been studied by Marzo et al. (1991).^[2]

Further reading

• Cattaneo-Vietti R., Chemello R., Giannuzzi-Savelli R. (1990). Atlas of Mediterranean Nudibranchs. La Conchiglia, Rome. 264 pp.
• Cimino . G. . Crispino . A. . Di Marzo . V. . Spinella . A. . Sodano . G. . 1992 . Prostaglandin F-1,15-lactone fatty acyl esters: a prostaglandin lactone pathway branch developed during the reproduction and early larval stages of a marine mollusc . Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B . 101 . 1–2. 99–104 . 10.1016/0305-0491(92)90164-M .
• Odhner N. H. (1936). "Nudibranchia Dendronotacea - A revision of the system". Memoires du Musee Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, series 2, fasc. 3: 1057-1128. (Pl. 1)
• Schmekel L. & Portmann A. (1982). Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres. Nudibranchia und Saccoglossa. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 410 pp., 36 plates.

External links

• Web site: Tethys fimbria - Linnaeus, 1767. Marenostrum.org. 30 June 2018.
• Web site: Tethys fimbria - DORIS. Doris.ffessm.fr. 30 June 2018.

Notes and References

1. https://archive.today/20130106191230/http://www.somali.asso.fr/clemam/biotaxis.php?X=20364&header=1 "Tethys fimbria Linné 1767 "
2. Di Marzo . V. . Cimino . G. . Crispino . A. . Minardi . C. . Sodano . G. . Spinella . A. . A novel multifunctional metabolic pathway in a marine mollusc leads to unprecedented prostaglandin derivatives (prostaglandin 1,15-lactones) . The Biochemical Journal . 273 . Pt 3 . 593–600 . 1991 . 1899996 . 1149804 . 10.1042/bj2730593.