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Description
Thecacera is a genus of dorid nudibranchs in the family Polyceridae (subfamily Polycerinae). The type species, T. pennigera, is widespread in temperate waters of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and lives down to about 36 m on branching bryozoans, on which it feeds (mainly Bugula). Wikipedia lists eight described species.
Identification
The head is short and blunt, without oral tentacles, with two lateral flaps; the rhinophores sit in sheaths. Near the gill (3 to 5 branched leaves) there are two long, club-shaped glandular appendages with white tips, and the body tapers toward the rear. In T. pennigera the body is translucent white with orange patches and black dots, up to about 30 mm long.
Species in this genus (2)
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