{"id":456,"date":"2012-05-16T18:49:40","date_gmt":"2012-05-16T16:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opistobranquis.info\/eolidacis-aeolididaeolid%c3%a1ceos-aeolididaaeolidaceans-aeolidida"},"modified":"2025-10-29T16:03:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T15:03:10","slug":"aeolidioidea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/opistobranquis.info\/en\/guia\/nudibranchia\/aeolidioidea\/","title":{"rendered":"Aeolidioidea"},"content":{"rendered":"

The aeolidaceans differ from other nudibranchs by their sleek body and the presence of groups of papillae, called cerata<\/strong>, on the back and sides of the body. Aeolidaceans are usually colorful, specially on the dorsal papillae. The head has, on the front, the oral tentacles<\/strong>, long and thin, and the rhinophores<\/strong> on the top, which can be smooth or have lamellae or warts.<\/p>\n

\"Nemesignis<\/div>
Nemesignis banyulensis<\/em> by Enric Madrenas<\/center><\/span>

<\/p><\/h6>\n

The digestive gland is highly branched and its branches, in the form of hollow conduit, enter inside of each cerata. In many species, the end of the digestive gland on each cerata expands, forming a spherical small bag called cnidosac<\/strong> that is communicated with the outside through a pore, the cnidopore,<\/strong> located on the tip of the cerata. They breath through the skin (cutaneous respiration) because they lack gills, so they use the cerata for gas exchange. Radula is narrow, with a row of teeth (monoseriate radula<\/strong>) or 3 teeth in each row (triseriate radula<\/strong>); generally a pair of chitinous jaws are found in the anterior part of the buccal bulb. Genital and anal orifices are located to the right of the body. The foot may differentiate, in its anterior zone, a pair of propodial palps, shaped short and triangular. Aeolidaceans prey mainly on Cnidarians: polyps of hydrozoans, jellyfish and anemones. This specialization provides these nudibranchs food as well as a defense mechanism of great biological interest because they are able to use for self-defense the stinging capsules (or cnidocysts<\/strong>) from their prey. For still unknown reasons, these cnidocysts are not triggered nor digested by the digestive juices of nudibranch, so they pass through the ramifications of the digestive gland until they reach the cnidosacs on the tip of the cerata, where they are stored. These cnidocysts can be expelled to the outside by contact with the potential predator, they are triggered and perform their defensive action. Some species have specialized in feeding on fish eggs, cirriped crustaceans or even other species of nudibranchs. The aeolidaceans are usually found on hydroid colonies, often the same species that serves them as food, and tend to lay their spawn there as well, usually in the form of a ribbon wrapped in various ways. At other times they can be found below stones, near anemones, even at very shallow depths, or can be found wandering on the rock walls abundant with algae and invertebrates.<\/p>\n

Classification<\/strong><\/p>\n

The taxonomy of Aeolidaceans proposed by Bouchet et al. (2017) and accepted by WoRMS is:<\/p>\n

Aeolidioidea J. E. Gray, 1827<\/strong><\/p>\n