Limacia clavigera, sometimes known by the common name orange-clubbed sea slug, is a sea slug, a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.Rosenberg, G.; Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Limacia clavigera (O. F. Müller, 1776). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140830 on 2015-12-23
Distribution Limacia clavigera is commonly found on the lower shore and in sublittoral algae belts along the Atlantic coast of Europe, including the British Isles, and from Norway to Portugal.Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2015). Limacia clavigera (O F Müller, 1776). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. Accessed on 2015-3-30 It has been found from the intertidal zone to depths of at least 20 m. It is replaced by Limacia inesae in the Mediterranean Sea.
It has also been reported along the South African coast from Saldanha Bay to Port Alfred.Gosliner, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa This disjunct distribution was an indication of several related species being included under one name. Some of these South African animals are referable to Limacia lucidaCaballer Gutiérrez, M., Almón Pazos, B., Pérez Dieste, J., (2015) The sea slug genus Limacia Müller, 1781 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) in Europe. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 57:35-42. and others belong to Limacia jellyi.Toms J.A., Pola M., Von der Heyden S. & Gosliner T.M. (2021). Disentangling species of the genus Limacia O.F. Müller, 1781, from southern Africa and Europe using integrative taxonomical methods, with the description of four new species. Marine Biodiversity. 51(1): 1-31.
Description Limacia clavigera is a small (up to 20 mm), white-bodied dorid with numerous orange-tipped projections on its body and scattered, raised, orange spots on its notum. Its gills and perfoliate rhinophores are orange-tipped.
Ecology This species feeds on the encrusting bryozoan Electra pilosa as well as Membranipora membranacea and is often seen on encrusted red algae or kelp. Its egg ribbon is a flat broad spiral of several coils.
References
External links
Distribution map, NBN UK