Family
Facelinid nudibranchs
Facelinidae
- Species in the gallery
- 12
- Genera
- 7
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Description
Facelinidae is one of the largest families of aeolid nudibranchs (superfamily Aeolidioidea), with over 40 genera recognised in WoRMS, including Facelina, Caloria, Cratena, Phidiana and Favorinus. It is cosmopolitan and well represented in the Mediterranean and the Indo-West Pacific. Most species feed on hydroids, and they store stinging cells (nematocysts) from their prey in cnidosacs at the tips of the cerata for defence. Recent molecular studies have reorganised several genera, and parts of its classification are still debated.
Identification
Slender, elongate aeolids with long oral tentacles and well-developed, often tentacle-like front corners of the foot. The rhinophores may be smooth or ringed (lamellate), and the cerata are arranged in clusters or rows along the sides, typically split into groups before and behind the heart. Compared with Flabellinidae, the cerata usually arise in separate clusters rather than on raised stalks.
Genera
12 species
Sources (3)
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