User:Calynneweewie/Doriprismatica atromarginata

Doriprismatica atromarginata is a species of sea slug. It is a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae. These slugs are found throughout the Indo-Pacific seas. These off white to pale brown slugs are decorated with black band around the mantle that has breaks in the black coloring along with black gills and rhinophores. Four types of secondary metabolites have been found the slugs that are also in their prey, sponges.

Contents

 * 1Distribution
 * 2Description
 * 3Ecology
 * 4References
 * 5External links

Distribution[ edit]
This species is found throughout the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific area and have been reported to live the waters of Vietnam, the South China Sea, Indonesia at depths of up to 10 meters.

Description[ edit]
Doriprismatica atromarginata ranges in color from creamy-white through yellow to pale brown.The black band around the mantle is not continuous. Both the rhinophores and gills are black. The slug does not have a rachidian tooth. D. atromarginata have denticle s, or serrations, on their other teeth. The frilly mantle sometimes appears to move like a wave as the animal crawls along. They can be up to 74 mm long. This species is very similar in appearance to Doriprismatica sibogae and Doriprismatica plumbea, although Doriprismatica atromarginata is more common and not quite as deep yellow in colour as the other species.

Embryology[ edit]
Doriprismatica atromarginata develop as lecithotrophic larva whereas many other nudibranchs experience planktotrophic development.

Ecology[ edit]
Doriprismatica atromarginata feeds on sponges and has been seen feeding on the species Hyatella intestinalis. Doriprismatica atromarginata obtains chemical compounds  from  the  sponges  it consumes. Secondary metabolites were  found  in  the  nudibranchs  as  well  as  sponges,  supporting scientists hypothesis that D. atromarginata obtains  metabolites specific  to  the species  of  sponge it  preys  upon. These metabolites provide  protection  against the predators of the soft gastropods such as crabs, sea turtles and even other nudibranchs! Four metabolites in total have been found in samples of D. atromarginata.