Glaucus marginatus

Glaucus marginatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Heterobranchia
Order:	Nudibranchia
Suborder:	Cladobranchia
Family:	Glaucidae
Genus:	Glaucus
Species:	G. marginatus
Binomial name
	Glaucus marginatus; (Reinhardt & Bergh, 1864)
Synonyms
	Glaucilla briarea (Reinhardt & Bergh, 1864); Glaucilla marginata (Reinhardt & Bergh, 1864) (original combination);

Glaucus marginatus is a species of small, floating, blue sea slug; a pelagic aeolid nudibranch; a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Glaucidae.^[1]^[2] This species is closely related to Glaucus atlanticus, and is part of a species complex (Informal clade Marginatus) along with , , and .^[3] Like Glaucus atlanticus, it is commonly known as a blue dragon.^[4]

Description[]

This nudibranch is dark blue, and in many ways it resembles a smaller version of Glaucus atlanticus. However, in this species the cerata are arranged in a single row in each arch.^{[citation needed]}

While G. atlanticus is up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long, G. marginate is only about 1.3 centimetres (0.51 in) long, and its tail is shorter than its cousin. The species has a light and dark blue foot.^[4]

Distribution[]

This species is pelagic, and can be found in the Pacific Ocean.^{[citation needed]}

While they do not usually inhabit coastal regions, hundreds of the creatures were observed washing up on one of the Sydney North Shore beaches, near Long Reef, in February 2021.^[4]

Habitat and behaviour[]

These small nudibranches float upside down on the surface tension in temperate and tropical seas. They eat colonial cnidarians such as the Portuguese man o' war^[2] (aka bluebottle, or Physalia utriculus), blue buttons (Porpita porpita), and the by-the-wind sailor (Velella velella).^[4]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Glaucus". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Valdés A. & Campillo O.A. (2004) Systematics of pelagic aeolid nudibranchs of the family Glaucidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Bulletin of Marine Science 75(3): 381–389.[1]
^ Churchill C.K.C, Valdés A. & Ó Foighil D. (2014) Molecular and morphological systematics of neustonic nudibranchs (Mollusca : Gastropoda : Glaucidae : Glaucus), with descriptions of three new cryptic species. Invertebrate Systematics 28(2): 174-195.[2]
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Salleh, Anna (12 February 2021). "Bizarre 'blue fleet' blows onto Australia's east coast". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

Sources[]

Bergh, L.S.R. (1860). Om Forekomsten af Neldefiim hos Mollusker. Vidensk. Meddel. Naturh. Foren. Kjöbenhavn, p. 309-331, pl. 8.
Burn R. (2006) A checklist and bibliography of the Opisthobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Victoria and the Bass Strait area, south-eastern Australia. Museum Victoria Science Reports 10:1–42.
Australian Museum Online sections - sea slug forums

External links[]

[WoRMS-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Glaucus". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

[ingentaconnect.com-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Valdés A. & Campillo O.A. (2004) Systematics of pelagic aeolid nudibranchs of the family Glaucidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Bulletin of Marine Science 75(3): 381–389.[1]

[publish.csiro.au-3] Churchill C.K.C, Valdés A. & Ó Foighil D. (2014) Molecular and morphological systematics of neustonic nudibranchs (Mollusca : Gastropoda : Glaucidae : Glaucus), with descriptions of three new cryptic species. Invertebrate Systematics 28(2): 174-195.[2]

[Salleh_2021-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Salleh, Anna (12 February 2021). "Bizarre 'blue fleet' blows onto Australia's east coast". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 February 2021.

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