Godiva quadricolor is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of sea slug

Slug

Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

, a nudibranch

Nudibranch

A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...

, a shell-less marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusc in the family Glaucidae

Glaucidae

Glaucidae is a taxonomic family of colorful sea slugs. These are specifically aeolid nudibranchs. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Aeolidioidea.-Genera and species:Genera and species within the family Glaucidae include:...

.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Mediterranean, off western Australia, West Africa, and the South African coast from the Cape Peninsula to East London, intertidally to 20 m.

Description

Godiva quadricolor is a slender pale-bodied nudibranch with many cerata

Cerata

Cerata are anatomical structures found in nudibranch sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks.They are dorsal and lateral outgrowths on the upper surfaces of the body....

 striped in bands of blue, yellow and orange. Its head is orange with rugose orange rhinophore

Rhinophore

A rhinophore is one of a pair of club-shaped structures which are the most prominent part of the external head anatomy of a group of sea slugs, marine gastropod opisthobranch mollusks in the order Nudibranchia, the nudibranchs, specifically the dorid nudibranchs.- Etymology :The name relates to the...

s and has a pair of orange oral tentacles with a white central stripe.

Ecology

Godiva quadricolor preys on anemone

Anemone

Anemone , is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae in the north and south temperate zones...

s and on other nudibranchs.

Its egg ribbon is a globular mass of white zigzags.

External links

• http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=8759