Aplysiopsis sinusmensalis, the Table Bay nudibranch, is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of sacoglossa

Sacoglossa

Sacoglossa, commonly known as the sacoglossans or the "sap-sucking sea slugs", are a clade of small sea slugs and sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks that belong to the clade Heterobranchia...

n sea slug

Slug

Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

, a shell-less marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Hermaeidae

Hermaeidae

Hermaeidae is a taxonomic family of sacoglossan sea slugs. These are marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Limapontioidea.This family has no subfamilies.-Genera:...

.

Distribution

This species is only known to occur in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It has been found off Blouberg, Milnerton, Oudekraal and Llandudno on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula and at Buffels Bay in False Bay. It appears to be endemic to this area.

Description

The Table Bay nudibranch is small, growing up to 20mm in total length. Its body is elongated and brown to olive green.It has a lighter brown white-margined band extending down the back of the head. Its cerata

Cerata

Cerata are anatomical structures found in nudibranch sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks.They are dorsal and lateral outgrowths on the upper surfaces of the body....

 and rhinophores are broad and somewhat flattened.

Ecology

The Table Bay nudibranch has been found in shallow water, mainly estuaries and tidal pools, on the green algae

Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...

 Ulva

Sea lettuce

The sea lettuces comprise the genus Ulva, a group of edible green algae that is widely distributed along the coasts of the world's oceans. The type species within the genus Ulva is Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, "lactuca" meaning lettuce...

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