Atlantic ancula | |
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Chromolithograph of Ancula gibbosa from Kunstformen der Natur (1904) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Nudibranchia |
Suborder: | Doridina |
Superfamily: | Onchidoridoidea |
Family: | Goniodorididae |
Genus: | Ancula |
Species: | A. gibbosa
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Binomial name | |
Ancula gibbosa | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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Ancula gibbosa, common name Atlantic ancula, is a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.
This species was described from the Mediterranean Sea at Nice, France. It has a wide distribution from there along the Atlantic coast to Norway, Greenland, Iceland and across to New England on the coast of North America. Ancula pacifica apparently has a number of colour varieties which closely approach this species and is currently believed to be a synonym.[4]
This goniodorid nudibranch has a translucent white body with yellow or white tipped processes.[5]
Ancula gibbosa feeds on Ectoprocta. It has been reported to possibly feed on a variety of sessile organisms, but these are just the substratum to which the ectoprocts are attached.[5]