Eubranchus tricolor

Painted balloon aeolis
The nudibranch Eubranchus tricolor, Firth of Lorne, Scotland.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida

Superfamily: Fionoidea
Family: Eubranchidae
Genus: Eubranchus
Species: E. tricolor
Binomial name
Eubranchus tricolor
Forbes, 1838[1]
Synonyms
  • Egalvina viridula (Bergh, 1873)
  • Eolis amethystina Alder & Hancock, 1845
  • Eolis tricolor (Forbes, 1838)
  • Eolis violacea Alder & Hancock, 1844
  • Galvina tricolor (Forbes, 1838)
  • Galvina viridula Bergh, 1873

Eubranchus tricolor, common name the painted balloon aeolis, is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Eubranchidae. [2] It is the type species of the genus Eubranchus.

Taxonomic history

According to Pruvot-Fol (1954) the species Amphorina alberti Quatrefages, 1844 is a synonym of Eubranchus tricolor.[3] Opinion 774 of the ICZN decided that Amphorina alberti was a synonym of Eubranchus farrani and suppressed the names Amphorina and A. alberti.[4]

Distribution

This species was first described from the Isle of Man, Irish Sea, United Kingdom. It has subsequently been reported from all around Britain and Ireland, as well as from continental coasts from Norway to Portugal and into the Mediterranean Sea.[5]

Description

This aeolid nudibranch is translucent white with rings of white, yellow and white at the tips of the cerata. The cerata are swollen and translucent with a narrow digestive gland which is usually dull purple in colour. There is a superficial resemblance to Janolus cristatus.

Ecology

Eubranchus tricolor feeds on several species of hydroids including Nemertesia antennina and Nemertesia ramosa, family Plumulariidae.

References

  1. ↑ Forbes, E. 1838. Malacologia Monensis: a catalogue of the Mollusca inhabiting the Isle of Man and the neighbouring sea. Edinburgh: J. Carfrae and son pp. XII + 63 + 3 pl.
  2. ↑ Caballer, M.; Gofas, S. (2015). Eubranchus tricolor Forbes, 1838. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-03-25
  3. ↑ Pruvot-Fol, A. (1954) Mollusques Opisthobranches. Faune de France, Paris 58:1-460.
  4. ↑ ICZN (1966) Opinion 774. Eubranchus Forbes, 1838 added to the Official List with suppression under the Plenary Powers of several nomina dubia. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 23(1): 87-90
  5. ↑ Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2015). Eubranchus tricolor Forbes, 1838. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. Accessed on 2015-12-27


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