Placida dendritica
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Placida dendritica is a species of small sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Limapontiidae.[1]
| Placida dendritica | |
|---|---|
| |
| A live individual in situ, head end towards the left | |
 | |
| illustration in A monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Family: | Limapontiidae |
| Genus: | Placida |
| Species: | P. dendritica |
| Binomial name | |
| Placida dendritica (Alder, J. & A. Hancock, 1843) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Despite a superficial resemblance, this is not a nudibranch, it is a sacoglossan (i.e. it is in the order Sacoglossa).
Like most sacoglossans, Placida dendritica feeds on coenocytic green algae. It is able to retain the chloroplasts for a short period.[2]
Distribution
This species has been reported worldwide, but it is most likely a species complex.[3]
