Kankelibranchus incognitus

Kankelibranchus incognitus is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.[2]

Kankelibranchus incognitus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
Subclass:
Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
Order:
Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily:
Polyceroidea
Family:
Polyceridae
Subfamily:
Kankelibranchinae
Genus:
Kankelibranchus
Species:
K. incognitus
Binomial name
Kankelibranchus incognitus
Ortea, Espinosa & Caballer, 2005[1]
Synonyms
  • Polycera incognita (Ortea, Espinosa & Caballer, 2005)

Distribution

This species was described from Cuba.

Description

The living animals are of a striking orange colour with small black dots all over the body, sometimes grouped in small patches in front of the gills. The gills, papillae and all of the elevated structures of the body are pale yellow. There are long branched processes on the oral veil, in addition to simple papilla. On the flanks and below the rim of the mantle there are also branched processes and buds of unequal sizes, with the largest reaching the height of the gills; these branched processes continue on the tail and on the sides of the body. The rhinophores are orange, with the stem and the lamellae of rugged aspect and an apical mucron very apparent, with up to 12 lamellae in the 7 mm animal. Eyes located well behind the rhinophores. Gills formed by five unipinnate leaves of a pale yellow colour; the anus is situated posterior to the gill. Genital opening on the right side, to the height of the anterior third of the body. Anterior edge of the foot bilabiate, with the angles rounded. Sole of the foot yellowish, with a tiny black dot.

References
  1. Ortea J., Espinosa J. & Caballer M. (2005 ["2004"]) Nuevos taxones y registros de la familia Polyceridae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) en las costas de Cuba. Avicennia 17: 101-106.
  2. MolluscaBase (2018). Kankelibranchus incognitus Ortea, Espinosa & Caballer, 2005. Accessed on 2019-10-13.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.