Polycera elegans is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.[2]

Polycera elegans
A live individual of Polycera elegans from Skomer Marine Nature Reserve, Wales, UK
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Superfamily: Polyceroidea
Family: Polyceridae
Genus: Polycera
Species:
P. elegans
Binomial name
Polycera elegans
Bergh, 1894[1]
Synonyms
  • Greilada elegans Bergh, 1894
  • Palio espagnoli Tejedo, 1994
  • Polycera elegans (Bergh, 1894) accepted, alternate representation
  • Polycera atlantica Pruvot-Fol, 1956
  • Polycera messinensis Odhner, 1941

Distribution

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This species occurs from southern England and Wales, south along coasts of the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. It is found in the Canary Islands and as far east as Italy in the Mediterranean Sea.[3]

Description

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This polycerid nudibranch is translucent orange with large iridescent blue spots. There is a tracery of blue-green iridescence along the pallial margin and on the midribs of the gills.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Bergh R. (1894). Eine gattung von Polyceraden (Greilada). Archiv für Naturgeschichte, Berlin 60 (1): 1-6
  2. ^ MolluscaBase eds. (2024). MolluscaBase. Polycera elegans (Bergh, 1894). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140833 on 2024-10-06
  3. ^ Rudman, W.B., 2004 (February 12) Greilada elegans Bergh, 1894. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  4. ^ Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., (2010) Greilada elegans Bergh, 1894. [In] In: Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
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