Wonderous Melibe Slug

Melibe viridis is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tethydidae.

Description

Body is large, resembling a mass of vegetal de-bris, with large cerata and a greatly dilated and rounded oral hood around its mouth, fringed with retentive tentacles. Rhinophores are very small and lamellate, emerging from tall sheaths, into which they can be retracted. Large cerata are arranged along the notal edge (up to 10 pairs), easily au-totomized and regenerated. Each one is oar-like shape, with a cylindrical stem and a flattened distal blade. Surface of the body and cerata bearing tubercles and ramified appendages (gills). Color: translucent with a pale yellow-brown or greenish ground color. The tubercles are brown, and the branched appendages paler. The body reaches a length of 140 mm. Their most unique attribute is their method of feeding. They have lost their radular teeth and have developed the oral veil into a large veil or "fish net" which they use to constantly scan the substrate as they crawl along. When the sensitive papillae on the inner edge of the oral veil touch a small crab or crustacean the edge of the veil is rapidly contracted, trapping the prey, which is then ingested.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, off Mozambique and off Indonesia.