Spanish Shawl
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Opisthobranchia Suborder: Nudibranchia Superfamily: Aeolidioidea Family: Flabellinidae Genus: Flabellina Species: F. iodinea
Binomial name
Flabellina iodinea Cooper, 1862

The Spanish shawl, Flabellina iodinea, is a species of aolid nudibranch, a very colorful sea slug. This is a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Flabellinidae.

Distribution

This species is native to the west coast of North America and further south. It has been reported as far north as British Columbia, Canada, and as far south as Punta Asuncion, Baja California Sur, Mexico, and in addition to this in the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands.

It is found off the coast of Santa Catalina Island, California.^[1]

Description

This nudibranch displays a stunning set of colors: the body is purple, the gills are orange and the rhinophores are scarlet. The neon orange appendages on the back of Flabellina iodinea are the gills which extract oxygen from the sea water they live in. The red rhinophores are sensory structures used for detecting the presence of possible mates and prey. The purple, red, and orange colors are derived from a single carotenoid pigment, astaxanthin. The pigment appears in three modified states, leading to the three distinct colors.^[2]

Life habits

These Spanish Shawl nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female sex organs. However, self-fertilisation very rarely occurs. When in harm by other predators, they can gracefully move away by flexing their body strongly and pushing off.

References

1. ^ "Spanish Shawl". The Slugsite. Retrieved on 16 April 2006.
2. ^ "The Sea Slug Forum - Flabellina iodinea". Australian Museum. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.

Gallery

Spanish shawl in La Jolla, California

Spanish shawls mating in Malibu, California

A Spanish shawl nudibranch in the Channel Islands of California.

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