Onchidina
Genus of gastropods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Onchidina is a monotypic genus of air-breathing sea slugs, a shell-less marine pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Onchidiidae.[1]
| Onchidina | |
|---|---|
| |
| Onchidina australis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Systellommatophora |
| Family: | Onchidiidae |
| Genus: | Onchidina Semper, 1885 |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Its sole member is the species Onchidina australis.[2] Uniquely within the Onchidiidae, O. australis lives above the tidal zone in a fully terrestrial habitat.[3]
Description
(Original description of Onchidina australis) The dorsal surface of the mollusk is strongly convex, while the ventral surface is flat. The dorsal mantle surface exhibits strong, irregular granulation, lacking any evidence of pseudobranchiae. Larger tubercles are distributed irregularly, spaced approximately 3-4 mm apart. The dorsal coloration is yellowish-gray, interspersed with darker speckles and dots. Two more or less indistinct bands of spots traverse the dorsal surface longitudinally, maintaining a consistent distance from each other and from the mantle margin. The larger tubercles on the dorsal surface are whitish. The ventral surfaces of the foot and head display a yellowish or reddish-gray coloration. The ventral surface of the mantle is blue-gray, bordered by a narrow yellowish band.[4]
Distribution
This species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Queensland.
