Donna Pomeroy, USA
Info
Melibe leonina (Gould, 1852)
Melibe leonina lacks a radula. This sea slug have a large oral veil. The slug use it to trap small crustaceans,includes copepods, amphipods,ostracods, as well as small larval mollusks, jellyfish,stenophores, small fish.
The polychaete scaleworm Halosydna brevisetosa is sometimes a symbiont, feeding on fecal pellets.
Some may have symbiotic algae.Melibe leonia is a very good swimmer.
The large flattened leaf-like cerata are easily detached if the animal is disturbed. Thats the reason why Melibe leonina are often found with some or all the cerata missing or in a state of regrowth.
The name "leonia" is due to the large hood which may look like a lion's mane.
Synonymised names:
Chioraera dalli Heath, 1917 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Chioraera leonina A. Gould, 1852 · unaccepted (original combination)
Melibe pellucida Bergh, 1904 · unaccepted
Melibe leonina lacks a radula. This sea slug have a large oral veil. The slug use it to trap small crustaceans,includes copepods, amphipods,ostracods, as well as small larval mollusks, jellyfish,stenophores, small fish.
The polychaete scaleworm Halosydna brevisetosa is sometimes a symbiont, feeding on fecal pellets.
Some may have symbiotic algae.Melibe leonia is a very good swimmer.
The large flattened leaf-like cerata are easily detached if the animal is disturbed. Thats the reason why Melibe leonina are often found with some or all the cerata missing or in a state of regrowth.
The name "leonia" is due to the large hood which may look like a lion's mane.
Synonymised names:
Chioraera dalli Heath, 1917 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Chioraera leonina A. Gould, 1852 · unaccepted (original combination)
Melibe pellucida Bergh, 1904 · unaccepted
