Pleurobranchidae
Encyclopedia
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
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...
s, 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 molluscs in the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Notaspidea
Notaspidea
Notaspidea, also known as the sidegill slugs, was a suborder which included both sea slugs and sea snails or false limpets, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the subclass Orthogastropoda....
.
The species in the family Pleurobranchidae have a prominent mantle
Mantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
and an internal shell that becomes reduced or is lost in adults. Some adult species have been seen feeding on ascidians. While larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l pleurobranchids can be planktotrophic (feeding on plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
), lecithotrophic (deriving nutrition from yolk), or direct developing, many species produce secretions from their rich glandular mantle as a chemical defense against predators.
Even the production of sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
has been reported.
Taxonomy
Until recently this family was placed in the suborder NotaspideaNotaspidea
Notaspidea, also known as the sidegill slugs, was a suborder which included both sea slugs and sea snails or false limpets, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs in the subclass Orthogastropoda....
. However, in the new taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi
Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
(2005), the family Pleurobranchidae has been placed in the superfamily Pleurobranchoidea, the only family belonging to the subclade Pleurobranchomorpha (sister to the subclade Nudibranchia), part of the clade Nudipleura
Nudipleura
Nudipleura are a clade of sea snails and sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks within the large clade Heterobranchia.- 2005 taxonomy :In the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi , the clade Nudipleura is arranged as follows:*Clade Nudipleura...
.
Subfamily Pleurobranchinae
- Bathyberthella
- Bathyberthella antarctica Willan and Bertsch, 1987
- BerthellaBerthellaBerthella is a genus of sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Pleurobranchidae.-Species:Species within the genus Berthella include:* Berthella ornata* Berthella martensi-References:*...
de BlainvilleHenri Marie Ducrotay de BlainvilleHenri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville was a French zoologist and anatomist.Blainville was born at Arques, near Dieppe. In about 1796 he went to Paris to study painting, but he ultimately devoted himself to natural history, and attracted the attention of Georges Cuvier, for whom he occasionally...
, 1824- Berthella africana Pruvot-Fol, 1953
- Berthella agassizi MacFarland, 1909
- Berthella americana A. E. Verrill, 1885
- Berthella aurantiaca Risso, 1818
- Berthella caledonica Dall, 1900 California sidegill slug
- Berthella californica Dall, 1900
- Berthella canariensis Cervera, J.L., T.M. Gosliner, J.C. García-Gómez & J. Ortea, 2000
- Berthella elongata Cantraine, 1835
- Berthella martensi Pilsbry, 1896
- Berthella medietas R. Burn, 1962
- Berthella ocellata delle Chiaje, 1830
- Berthella ornataBerthella ornataBerthella ornata is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pleurobranchidae....
T.F. Cheeseman, 1878 - Berthella patagonica d'Orbigny, 1837
- Berthella platei Bergh, 1898
- Berthella plumula Montagu, 1803
- Berthella sideralis Lovén, 1846
- Berthella stellata Risso, 1826
- Berthella strongi MacFarland, 1966
- Berthella tamiu Ev. Marcus, 1984
- Berthella tupala Er. Marcus, 1957
- BerthellinaBerthellinaBerthellina is a genus of sea slugs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Pleurobranchidae.-Species:Species within the genus Berthellina include:* Berthellina granulata, the lemon pleurobranch...
Gardiner, 1936- Berthellina amarillus Mattox, 1953
- Berthellina americanus Verrill, 1885
- Berthellina circularis MörchOtto Andreas Lowson MörchOtto Andreas Lowson Mörch was a biologist, specifically a malacologist. He lived in Sweden, in Denmark, and in France.- Taxa described :Bibliography and taxa described by Otto Andreas Lowson Mörch include:...
, 1863 - Berthellina citrina Rüppell & Leuckart, 1828 (synonym of Gymnotoplax citrina Er. Marcus, 1957 )
- Berthellina delicata W.H. Pease, 1861
- Berthellina edwardsi Vayssière, 1897
- Berthellina engeli Gardiner, 1936
- Berthellina granulata (Krauss, 1848)
- Berthellina ilisima Marcus, Er. & Ev. Marcus, 1967
- Berthellina quadridens MörchOtto Andreas Lowson MörchOtto Andreas Lowson Mörch was a biologist, specifically a malacologist. He lived in Sweden, in Denmark, and in France.- Taxa described :Bibliography and taxa described by Otto Andreas Lowson Mörch include:...
, 1863 (junior synonym of Gymnotoplax quadridens)
- Bouvieria Vayssière, 1896
- Bouvieria auriantiaca Risso, 1813
- Bouvieria ocellata S. delle Chiaje, 1828
- Bouvieria perforata PhilippiRodolfo Amando PhilippiRodolfo Amando Philippi was a German-Chilean paleontologist and zoologist....
, 1844
- EuselenopsEuselenopsEuselenops luniceps is a species of sea slug, a pleurobranchiomorph gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchidae.Euselenops luniceps is the type species of the genus Euselenops and Euselenops luniceps is the only species in the genus Euselenops.The radula of this species was studied by Thompson...
Pilsbry, 1896- Euselenops luniceps
- Gigantonotum
- Gigantonotum album Lin, G. & S. Tchang, 1965
- Gymnotoplax Pilsbry, 1896
- Gymnotoplax citrina Er. Marcus, 1957
- Gymnotoplax engeli Gardiner, 1936
- Gymnotoplax quadridens
- Oscanius Leach, 1847
- Oscanius tuberculatus Meckel, 1808
- Parabathyberthella
- Parabathyberthella eltanini DellRichard DellDr Richard Kenneth Dell was a New Zealand malacologist. He was born in Auckland. As a young boy, he took an interest in shells, collecting them from the shores of Waitemata Harbour. He even managed to start a "museum" in his backyard...
, 1990 - Parabathyberthella orcadensis Talavera, F.G., J.C. García-Gómez, J.S. Troncoso & J.L. Cervera, 1994
- Parabathyberthella eltanini Dell
- Pleuredhera
- Pleuredhera haraldi
- Pleurobranchella
- Pleurobranchella nicobarica ThieleJohannes ThieleJohannes Thiele, full name Karl Hermann Johannes Thiele was a German zoologist specialized in malacology. His Handbuch der systematischen Weichtierkunde is a standard work...
, 1925
- Pleurobranchella nicobarica Thiele
- PleurobranchusPleurobranchusThe genus Pleurobranchus belongs to the family Pleurobranchidae and is one of the genera of sidegill slugs, which are a type of large sea slug. They are marine gastropod molluscs.-Species:Known species in the genus include the following:...
CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1805
- Polictenidia
- Polictenidia tomasi Talavera, F.G., J.S. Troncoso, J.L. Cervera & J.C. García-Gómez, 1996
- Susania
- Susania testudinaria Cantraine, F.J., 1840 (synonym of Pleurobranchus testudinarius)
- Tomthompsonia
- Tomthompsonia antarctica ThieleJohannes ThieleJohannes Thiele, full name Karl Hermann Johannes Thiele was a German zoologist specialized in malacology. His Handbuch der systematischen Weichtierkunde is a standard work...
, 1912
- Tomthompsonia antarctica Thiele