Tenellia phoenix

Tenellia phoenix
	Santa Cruz, California, USA
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia; clade Euthyneura; clade Nudipleura; clade Nudibranchia; clade Dexiarchia ; clade Cladobranchia; clade Aeolidida
Superfamily:	Fionoidea
Family:	Fionidae
Genus:	Tenellia
Species:	T. phoenix
Binomial name
	Tenellia phoenix; (Gosliner, 1981)
Synonyms
	Cuthona phoenix Gosliner, 1981 ;

Tenellia phoenix is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Fionidae.^[2]

Distribution

This species was described from La Jolla, California, United States. It has been reported from Monterey Bay to Mission Bay (San Diego), California^[3] and Costa Rica.^[4]

Description

Tenellia phoenix is a small translucent aeolid with swollen cerata and a visible central line of digestive gland which shows through the skin. It is reminiscent of Tergipes tergipes or Eubranchus rupium but intermediate between these species in the number and arrangement of its cerata. The oral tentacles and rhinophores are suffused with brown pigment.^[5]

References

^ Gosliner, Terrence (1981). "A New Species of Tergipedid Nudibranch from the Coast of California". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 47 (2): 200–205. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.mollus.a065568.
^ Bouchet, P. (2014). Cuthona phoenix Gosliner, 1981. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-01-31
^ Hermosillo, A. & Behrens, D.W. (2005). The Opisthobranch fauna of Mexican States of Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero- Filling in the faunal gap. Vita Malacologia, 3: 11-22.
^ Behrens, D.W. & Hermosillo, A. (2005) Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs. A guide to the Opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America. Sea Challengers, Monterey. 1-137.
^ Cuthona phoenix [at] CalPhotos.

[1] Gosliner, Terrence (1981). "A New Species of Tergipedid Nudibranch from the Coast of California". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 47 (2): 200–205. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.mollus.a065568.

[2] Bouchet, P. (2014). Cuthona phoenix Gosliner, 1981. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-01-31

[3] Hermosillo, A. & Behrens, D.W. (2005). The Opisthobranch fauna of Mexican States of Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero- Filling in the faunal gap. Vita Malacologia, 3: 11-22.

[4] Behrens, D.W. & Hermosillo, A. (2005) Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs. A guide to the Opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America. Sea Challengers, Monterey. 1-137.

[5] Cuthona phoenix [at] CalPhotos.

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