Fiona pinnata
Fiona pinnata (Eschscholtz, 1831)
Description 2
Ground color translucent greyish-white; body varies somewhat from pale cream to rather pale raw umber, with a slight pinkish cast between and anterior of rhinophores. Cerata borne upon thin, marginal expansion of dorsum, with 4-6 or more cerata in each transverse row; cerata cylindrical and tapered, the majority bear a thin, sail-like expansion on proximal three quarters of posterior surface; cerata colored as body, cores vary from brown to raw umber, or bluish-purple. The long, tapered oral tentacles and the smooth rhinophores are colored as the body. Anterior foot corners not produced.
Size 2
Up to about 40mm in length.
Geographic Range 2
Cosmopolitan
Notes 2
This species is pelagic, preying upon Goose Barnacles (Lepas spp.) or By-the-Wind Sailors (Vellela vellela). They are occasionally found cast up on shore with their prey. Individuals which have fed upon Lepas have brownish cerata cores; while those which have eaten Vellela have bluish-purple cerata cores.
References 2
CELLA, K., L. CARMONA, I. EKIMOVA, A. CHICHVARKHIN, D. SCHEPETOV, & T. M. GOSLINER. 2016. A radical solution: the phylogeny of the nudibranch family Fionidae. PLoS ONE 11(12):e0167800. PDF
MACFARLAND, F. M. 1966. Studies of opisthobranchiate mollusks of the Pacific coast of North America. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 6:1-546, pls. 1-72. PDF
McDONALD, G. R. 1983. A review of the nudibranchs of the California coast. Malacologia 24(1-2):114-276. PDF
TRICKEY, J. S., M. THIEL, & J. M. WATERS. 2015. Transoceanic dispersal and cryptic diversity in a cosmopolitan rafting nudibranch. Invertebrate Systematics 30(3) 290-301.
Additional Info 2
Sources and Credits
- (c) Gary McDonald, all rights reserved, uploaded by Gary McDonald
- (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Body | aeolidiform |
|---|---|
| Cerata | unbranched |
| Rhinophores | smooth |
