Taringa halgerda
Encyclopedia
Taringa halgerda is a species
of sea slug
, a dorid nudibranch
, a shell-less marine
gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae
.
There is no certainty that it is placed in its proper genus.
, Papua New Guinea
and the Philippines
.
are white, faintly outlined in black, and the rhinophores are black. This species can reach a length of at least 40 mm.
It can be confused with Taringa luteola but there are differences in the coloration, tubercle
s and some aspects of its internal anatomy
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 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 dorid 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...
, 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...
gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae
Discodorididae
Discodorididae is a taxonomic family of sea slugs, specifically dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Doridoidea. Species in this family belong to the cryptobranch dorid nudibranchs, i.e. they are able to retract their gills into a gill pocket . Most are small and hard to...
.
There is no certainty that it is placed in its proper genus.
Distribution
This species is found in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean, especially around IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Description
Taringa halgerda is white with very distinct yellow tubercles covering the mantle. The gills of this nudibranchNudibranch
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...
are white, faintly outlined in black, and the rhinophores are black. This species can reach a length of at least 40 mm.
It can be confused with Taringa luteola but there are differences in the coloration, tubercle
Tubercle
A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection, but it has slightly different meaning depending on which family of plants or animals it is used to refer to....
s and some aspects of its internal anatomy