Pteraeolidia
blue dragons
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Description
Pteraeolidia is a genus of aeolid nudibranchs in the family Facelinidae and is accepted in WoRMS. They are elongate, flattened sea slugs, usually about 5 cm and sometimes much longer, living in the Indo-Pacific. They feed on hydroids, keep the prey's stinging cells (nematocysts) for defence, and house zooxanthellae in their cerata. Their sting is painful to humans. Wikipedia lists at least three species, and P. semperi is a species complex.
Identification
The body is elongate and flattened with many clusters of cerata along both sides in a repeating front-to-back pattern, giving a centipede-like look. Colours range through grey-blue, green and brown, sometimes purplish, often with pale or blue banding. The rhinophores are elongate with fine ridges.
Species in this genus (1)
Share link: https://seaslugs.org.il/genus/Pteraeolidia/