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How does it look like?
They are variable in colour with four different phenotypes (types). The normal phenotype is a translucent white with yellow-orange spots on the dorsal cerata, olfactory organs and orientation organs (rinophores and oral tentacles). Other phenotypes have purple-orange or black gold coloured bodies. There have also been seen Amphorina farrani completely white, without orange coloured spots. They present inflated cerata with a distribution of ten rows, five on each side of the body.
Where does it live?
They live at the eastern north Atlantic from Norway to the western Mediterranean.
How does it feed?
They feed on thecate hydroids such as Obelia geniculata or Aglaophenia pluma.
How do they reproduce?
All animals have both sexes (hermaphrodites). Usually they reproduce with another individual, sticking their needle-shaped penis through their couples skin. Rarely selfreproduction. They lay their eggs in a gelatinous spiral.
Is a confusion possible?
Mainly confusions occur with the rest of the Amphorina genus, mostly with Amphorina andra, which whom they share geographical distribution. In the case of A.farrani, there are no white spots or iridiscenses on rinophores or cerata, and the back is claearly white, whithout dark spots. Confusion is also possible with Eubranchus tricolor (Forbes, 1838), but this species is narrower, smaller and has fewer cerata. The general colour of E.tricolor turn usualy more to white and blue.
Curiosities
· They have the ability to inflate their cerata
· Only after genetic analysis the different phenotypes have been described, closing the discussion of different species
· Until 2020 this species was known as Eubranchis farrani, a name which actually is not accepted anymore.
Taxonomy
Order: Nudibranchia, Suborder: Aeolidina, Family: Eubranchidae |
