Lomanotus vermiformis
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lomanotus vermiformis is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lomanotidae.[3]
| Lomanotus vermiformis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Lomanotus vermiformis on substrate with egg mass. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Tritoniacea |
| Family: | Tritoniidae |
| Genus: | Lomanotus |
| Species: | L. vermiformis |
| Binomial name | |
| Lomanotus vermiformis | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Taxonomy
Distribution
The distribution of Lomanotus vermiformis is circumtropical.[5] This species was described from the Red Sea.[1] It has also been reported widely from tropical seas in the Indo-Pacific region. Records from the Western Atlantic includes Florida, Bahamas and Panama.[5]
Description
The body shape is very elongate and narrow.[5] Rhinophoral sheaths are with papillae and they are elevated to cover three quarters of the rhinophores.[5] Cerata are very short and pointed.[5] Background color is brown with dark brown spots and opaque yellow lines.[5] Opaque white reticulations is also present across the body.[5] The maximum recorded body length is 40 mm,[5][6] but it is usually smaller than 25 mm.[4]
Ecology
Minimum recorded depth is 1 m.[6] Maximum recorded depth is 4.5 m.[6]
Lomanotus vermiformis feeds on the common stinging hydroid Lytocarpus philippinus[4] and on hydroids of the genus Macrorhynchia.[5] It was also found feeding on an unidentified species of hydroid in Panama, on which it is extremely cryptic.[5]
Lomanotus vermiformis can swim with lateral flexions of the body when disturbed.[5]