Leminda
Encyclopedia
Leminda is a genus
of nudibranch
s in the family Charcotiidae
. They are marine
gastropod molluscs which have so far only been found around the South African coast.
Lemindidae has been classified as a synonym of the Charcotiidae in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi
(2005).
is expanded and waving and is held above the body. The foot is large and well-developed. The rhinophore
s are smooth and retract into smooth small sheaths. The radula
is broad and arranged in multiple series with hook-shaped teeth. The digestive gland branches extensively into the mantle margin. The animal has no eyes. A bag used in copulation opens between the male and female reproductive openings
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of nudibranch
Nudibranch
A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...
s in the family Charcotiidae
Charcotiidae
Charcotiidae is a family of sea slugs, nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs, in the clade Euthyneura. There are no subfamilies in Charcotiidae...
. They are 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...
gastropod molluscs which have so far only been found around the South African coast.
Taxonomy
Leminda has been considered as the only genus in the family Lemindidae Griffiths, 1985. Leminda the type genus of the family Lemindidae.Lemindidae has been classified as a synonym of the Charcotiidae in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi
Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
(2005).
Description
The body of these animals is robust and elevated, and has a velum, or anterior veil. The margin of the mantleMantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
is expanded and waving and is held above the body. The foot is large and well-developed. The rhinophore
Rhinophore
A rhinophore is one of a pair of club-shaped structures which are the most prominent part of the external head anatomy of a group of sea slugs, marine gastropod opisthobranch mollusks in the order Nudibranchia, the nudibranchs, specifically the dorid nudibranchs.- Etymology :The name relates to the...
s are smooth and retract into smooth small sheaths. The radula
Radula
The radula is an anatomical structure that is used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared rather inaccurately to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the esophagus...
is broad and arranged in multiple series with hook-shaped teeth. The digestive gland branches extensively into the mantle margin. The animal has no eyes. A bag used in copulation opens between the male and female reproductive openings