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Polyceridae
Family

Polycerid nudibranchs

Polyceridae

Species in the gallery
17
Genera
7

Description

Polyceridae is a large family of dorid nudibranchs (superfamily Polyceroidea, suborder Doridina), divided into several subfamilies such as Polycerinae, Triophinae and Nembrothinae, with roughly two dozen genera. Members are found in all oceans from cold to tropical waters; Polycera, Thecacera and Limacia occur in the Mediterranean, while Nembrotha and Tambja are typical of Indo-Pacific reefs. Most species feed on bryozoans, but the Nembrothinae eat ascidians and some also prey on other sea slugs. Some Plocamopherus species can produce bioluminescent flashes.

Identification

Polycerids are dorids with a rather narrow, often elongate body and a reduced mantle edge rather than a broad flat skirt. The gills form a cluster around the anus but cannot be withdrawn into a pocket, and they are often flanked by finger- or club-like extra-branchial processes; the front of the head usually bears a veil with finger-like papillae. The lamellate rhinophores, often with sheaths, plus the non-retractile gills distinguish them from Chromodorididae and Discodorididae, whose gills retract into the mantle.

Genera

17 species

Sources (3)

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Polyceridae