Guide to Opisthobranchs Nudibranchia Cladobranchia Aeolidioidea Facelina annulicornis

Facelina annulicornis

Facelina annulicornis (Chamisso & Heysenhardt, 1821)

Facelina annulicornis @ Costa Brava (Spain) by Enric Madrenas

Taxonomy

	Superdomain	Biota
	Kingdom	Animalia
	Phylum	Mollusca
	Class	Gastropoda
	Subclass	Heterobranchia
	Infraclass	Euthyneura
	Subterclass	Ringipleura
	Superorder	Nudipleura
	Order	Nudibranchia
	Suborder	Cladobranchia
	Superfamily	Aeolidioidea
	Family	Facelinidae
	Genus	Facelina
	Species	Facelina annulicornis (Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821)

	Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017) Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 139907).

Synonyms

Eolidia annulicornis Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821
Eolis punctata Alder & Hancock, 1845
Facelina punctata (Alder & Hancock, 1845)

Description
This facelinid can reach a size of more than 30 mm in length. The body is translucent white with the back tinted pink and the head tinted cream. The oral tentacles are approximately twice as long as the rhinophores, and also colored translucent white, with opaque white dots on basal half. The cephalic region and the back of the animal, as well as the surface of the cerata is sprayed with small white circular spots. In front of the base of the rhinophores a dark brown stain can be seen with the form of a mask, while another curved similar stain goes back, crossing between the rhinophores and directed to the left. These stains correspond to the pigmentation of the buccal bulb and esophagus. The rhinophores are translucent, with a brown ring near the light yellow apex and fine lamellae slightly oblique along its full surface. The eyes are located behind the base of the rhinophores. The cerata are grouped in 6-7 series on each side of the body, with the first group well separated from others by a space corresponding to the cardiac region. Numerous cerata in the first and second group are distributed in 3 rows, while in the remaining groups, cerata are distributed in two rows. The cerata are elongated and slightly curved, progressively decreasing in thickness from the base to the apex. The digestive gland within the cerata is dark brown and occupies all the cerata but the apex, which is transparent; cerata are sprayed white, as the rest of the body. The foot is transparent and under the head evolves to two well-developed propodial palps, translucent white with opaque white dots on its front side.

Biology
F. annulicornis is a very active species that is often found wandering on different substrates in search of food, usually hydrozoans of the genus Eudendrium, Obelia, Pennaria and Tubularia. It is cited that animals placed in aquariums can prey on other nudibranchs’ spawns and even adult specimens of aeolidaceans or dendronotaceans. The spawn is a cord wrapped in a somewhat irregular spiral filled with pink eggs about 80 microns in diameter.

Etymology

Facelina – Latin for lined face
annulicornis – Latin for ringed horns

Distribution
This species has been recorded in continental European shores, in the British Isles from Scotland, in the French Atlantic, in the Iberian Peninsula in its coastal areas, Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira. Also present in the Western Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands. In Catalonia it has been cited in different coastal locations of the Costa Brava such as Cala Sant Antoni and Es Caials (Cadaqués), Aiguablava (Begur), L´Escala, Tossa de Mar and Cala Sant Francesc (Blanes).

Known georeferenced records of the species: Facelina annulicornis
Sources:
: OBIS : GROC 2010-2011 : Enric Madrenas : João Pedro Silva : Bernard Picton : GBIF.ORG	: OPK : VIMAR : Manuel Ballesteros. : M@re Nostrum : Altres fonts : Marine Regions

Similar species
Facelina auriculata, larger, rhinophores lamellated only distally and coloured white in the front side. Cerata with blue tones. First 3 groups of cerata with 2-3 rows, the rest with only one.

Abundance

Western Mediterranean:	★★☆☆☆
Eastern Mediterranean:	☆☆☆☆☆
Atlantic Ocean:	★★☆☆☆

Month

This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Facelina annulicornis based on our own records.

Videos

More pictures

Facelina annulicornis @ Costa Brava (Spain) by Enric Madrenas

Facelina annulicornis @ Costa Brava (Spain) by Miquel Pontes

Facelina annulicornis @ France by Pascal Girard

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Further reading

Cite this article as:

Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2012-2025) "Facelina annulicornis" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 17/05/2012. Accessed: 03/02/2025. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=627)

Facelina annulicornis