Home Guide to Opisthobranchs Nudibranchia Cladobranchia Proctonotoidea Antiopella cristata

Antiopella cristata

Antiopella cristata (Delle Chiaje, 1841)

Antiopella cristata 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

Proctonotoidea  

 

Family

Janolidae  

 

Genus

Antiopella  

 

Species

Antiopella cristata  (Delle Chiaje, 1841)

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 162687).
Synonyms

  • Antiopa splendida Alder & Hancock, 1848
  • Janolus cristatus (Delle Chiaje, 1841)
  • Eolidia cristata Delle Chiaje, 1841
  • Eolis cristata Delle Chiaje, 1841 (original)
  • Janus spinolae Vérany, 1846

Taxonomic note: A study published by Pola, Hallas and Gosliner (2019) tries to address the uncertainties traditionally presented by the members of the family Proctonotidae, by analyzing four apparently undescribed species of Indo-Pacific Madrellidae and Proctonotidae with the use of detailed morphological and molecular techniques. The results, although they are not completely conclusive because the authors have not been able to analyze samples of all the groups involved, clearly show that Janolidae family must be reinstated, eliminating “de facto” its synonymy with the Proctonotidae family. Within the Janolidae there would be two well-supported clades: one that includes species with smooth ceratas found in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans, among which is the species Janolus cristatus that, together with other species, would conform the genus Antiopella and, on the other hand, a sister clade that would include other species that traditionally belong to the genus Janolus Bergh, 1884 and Bonisa Gosliner, 1981. A more detailed summary can be read (in Spanish) on VIMAR website.

Description
This nudibranch usually measures 25 mm in length but it has been cited with a maximum length of 80 mm. The body general coloration is translucent light brown, revealing some internal organs and the extensions of the digestive gland. The dorsum is crossed by a longitudinal white line (sometimes with a blu irisation) from the tail to the anterior part of the dorsum, where it splits into two. The side walls of the body may also get spots of the same hue. The rhinophores share the same color of the body and have very oblique lamellae, the apex is whitish. The bases of the rhinophores have no lamellae and join on the back of the head, between them there is a structure called “nuchal caruncle” with a brown and rough surface whose mission seems to be sensorial. The eyes are located at the base of each rhinophore. The most characteristic feature of this species is the existence of numerous papillae or cerata on the back that make it look like an aeolidacean nudibranch. However, these papillae grow from all around the body, including the anterior region of the head, and despite they have ramifications of the digestive gland inside, they lack the cnidosac of the aeolidaceans. The papillae are elongated, bulging somewhat in its central region, and they are translucent, with the apex of bluish-white color. They are contractile and can extend or shrink acquiring a rounded shape, according to the state of the animal. The papillae growing near the foot are much smaller than those located more dorsally. Within each papilla a branch of the digestive gland is visible as a straight brown cord, which ramifies at its apical end. The anus is at the end of a cylindrical, whitish and translucent anal papilla which is located in the back dorsal zone of the body; the top edge of the anal papilla is slightly lobed.

Biology
This species lives on well illuminated rocky walls between 10 and 45 m of depth (Đani Iglić, pers.comm.). It ocasionally appears under stones or at shallower depths. It is usually found in the vicinity or on different species of bryozoans of which it feeds. Several bryozoans have been cited as substrate or food for this species, like Alcyonidium gelatinosum, Bicellariella ciliata, different species of Bugula (B. avicularia, B. flabellata, B. neritina, B. turbinata) and Cellaria sp. The spawn consists of a long and thin string laid in a wavy way; the pink eggs have a size of about 80 microns, several eggs contained in each single ovigerous capsule. When animals are disturbed they are able to autotomize the papillae, which then continue shrinking and stretching after leaving the body, most probably as a defense mechanism. At times, specimens of A. cristata are infested by the ectoparasitic copepod Doridicola agilis.

Etymology

  • Antiopella is referred to Antíope (Άντίοπη), according to Greek mythology, a daughter of Aeolus, the Keeper of the Winds.
  • Cristata is referred to the crest, according to Bernard PICTON in his book “Nudibranchs of The British Isles”.

Distribution
This species is distributed throughout the European coasts, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, also in Canary islands, Madeira and Azores. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been cited in all coastal areas, both Atlantic and Mediterranean. In Catalonia it is relatively common in many locations of the Costa Brava.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Antiopella cristata
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
Due to its characteristics, it is unmistakable.

Abundance

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

This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Antiopella cristata based on our own records.

Vídeos

 

More pictures

Antiopella cristata by Enric Madrenas
Antiopella cristata by Enric Madrenas
Antiopella cristata by Enric Madrenas
Antiopella cristata by Enric Madrenas
Antiopella cristata by Enric Madrenas
Antiopella cristata
Antiopella cristata by Enric Madrenas
Antiopella cristata by Bernard Picton
Antiopella cristata @ Mallorca by Lenka Juskaničová
Antiopella cristata @ Astakos Divesite, Ammouliani island, Halkidiki, Greece 29-05-2014 by Yiannis Iliopoulos
Antiopella cristata @ Salpatxot, Illes Medes, Spain 31-03-2012
Antiopella cristata@ Es Caials, Cadaqués, Spain 3-06-2000 by Lluís Aguilar & Albert Ollé
Antiopella cristata @ Es Caials, Cadaqués, Spain 15-05-2010 by Miquel Pontes
Antiopella cristata @ Illa Galera, El Port de la Selva, Spain 9-05-2009 by Miquel Pontes
Antiopella cristata @ Illa Galera, El Port de la Selva, Spain 9-05-2009 by Miquel Pontes
Antiopella cristata @ Netherlands 6-09-2018 by Stefan Verheyen
Antiopella cristata @ Sicily, Italy by Lara Orselli
Antiopella cristata by Miquel Pontes
Antiopella cristata by Nani Díez
Antiopella cristata by Nani Díez
Antiopella cristata by Nani Díez
Antiopella cristata @ France by Pascal Girard
Antiopella cristata @ France by Pascal Girard
Antiopella cristata spawn @ France by Pascal Girard
Antiopella cristata @ Costa Brava by Manuel Ballesteros
Antiopella cristata @ Costa Brava by Manuel Ballesteros
Antiopella cristata @ Costa Brava by Manuel Ballesteros
Antiopella cristata @ Granada por Luis Sánchez Tocino

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    Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.

Further reading

Cite this article as:

Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2023) "Antiopella cristata" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 16/05/2012. Accessed: 09/12/2023. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=554)

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