Jenvit Seriburi
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Phestilla melanobrachia Bergh, 1874
This nudibranch is highly variable in color, its body color ranges from a pale beige to light yellow, orange, pink to a dark purple. Blue and black also occur. The body appendages and their tips are just as variable in color.
Phestilla melanobrachia is a coral-eating nudibranch that is widespread in the tropical Pacific. Previous studies have discovered only two color morphs of Phestilla melanobrachia, an orange form that eats various orange Dendrophyllia and Tubastraea species and a dark green form that eats the black Tubastraea micrantha and Tubastraea diaphana. Both color morphs live in relatively deep waters (15-25 m) on exposed shores.
In 2021, scientists found a beige color morph of Phestilla melanobrachia that feeds on the goblet coral Duncanopsammia peltata (synonym Turbinaria peltata) in shallow waters. The coral has zooxanthellae, which the predatory snail stores in its cerata tips. In addition, this coral, including the predatory snail, can only be found down to a maximum depth of 10m.
Faziti known and scientifically proven since 2021:
Tubastraea corals (Dendrophylliidae) are on the snail's menu, but there are also references to sponges and bryozoans in the literature and it has been known since 2021 that a beige-colored variant feeds on Duncanopsammia peltata. So there are 3 color variants, which are orange, brown or beige depending on the food!
Synonym:
Phestilla melanobrachia Bergh, 1874 · unaccepted > superseded combination
This nudibranch is highly variable in color, its body color ranges from a pale beige to light yellow, orange, pink to a dark purple. Blue and black also occur. The body appendages and their tips are just as variable in color.
Phestilla melanobrachia is a coral-eating nudibranch that is widespread in the tropical Pacific. Previous studies have discovered only two color morphs of Phestilla melanobrachia, an orange form that eats various orange Dendrophyllia and Tubastraea species and a dark green form that eats the black Tubastraea micrantha and Tubastraea diaphana. Both color morphs live in relatively deep waters (15-25 m) on exposed shores.
In 2021, scientists found a beige color morph of Phestilla melanobrachia that feeds on the goblet coral Duncanopsammia peltata (synonym Turbinaria peltata) in shallow waters. The coral has zooxanthellae, which the predatory snail stores in its cerata tips. In addition, this coral, including the predatory snail, can only be found down to a maximum depth of 10m.
Faziti known and scientifically proven since 2021:
Tubastraea corals (Dendrophylliidae) are on the snail's menu, but there are also references to sponges and bryozoans in the literature and it has been known since 2021 that a beige-colored variant feeds on Duncanopsammia peltata. So there are 3 color variants, which are orange, brown or beige depending on the food!
Synonym:
Phestilla melanobrachia Bergh, 1874 · unaccepted > superseded combination
