Warty pleurobranch
The warty pleurobranch, scientific name Pleurobranchaea bubala, is a species of sea slug, specifically a sidegill slug or notaspidean. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchaeidae.
| Warty pleurobranch Pleurobranchaea bubala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A close-up of Pleurobranchaea bubula, head towards the left | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): | |
| Superfamily: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | P. bubala |
| Binomial name | |
| Pleurobranchaea bubala Marcus & Gosliner, 1984 | |
Distribution
This species is endemic to the South African coast, and is found only from Hout Bay to Jeffreys Bay[1] in 5–30 m of water.[2]
Description
The warty pleurobranch has an oval sandy-coloured body with large opaque white bumps on the notum. It has a spade-shaped head and two widely separated rhinophores. There is a single gill on right hand side of body. It can be confused with the dwarf warty pleurobranch, which is smaller, has a smoother skin and can be found in deeper water.[1]
Ecology
This pleurobranch is a voracious predator on other opisthobranchs. It has been seen eating smaller individuals of the same species.[1] Its egg ribbon is a sizeable roll of several white loops.