Okenia aspersa

Species of gastropod

Okenia aspersa

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Mollusca
Class:  | Gastropoda
Order:  | Nudibranchia
Superfamily:  | Onchidoridoidea
Family:  | Goniodorididae
Genus:  | Okenia
Species:  |

O. aspersa

Binomial name
Okenia aspersa

(Alder & Hancock, 1845)[1]

Synonyms

* Doris quadricornis Montagu, 1813 (ICZN opinion 1014: suppressed under the plenary powers for the purpose of the Principle of Priority)
* Idalia aspersa Alder & Hancock, 1845 (original combination)
* Idalia caudata Orested, 1844
* Idalia modesta Verrill, 1875
* Idaliella modesta (A. E. Verrill, 1875)
* Okenia leachii var. quadricornis (Montagu, 1815)
* Okenia modesta (A. E. Verrill, 1875)
* Okenia quadricornis (Montagu, 1815) (suppressed under ICZN Opinion 1014)

Okenia aspersa is a species of sea slug, a Dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.[2]

## Distribution

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This species was first described from Cullercoats, North Sea. It has subsequently been reported widely in Britain and Ireland and north to Norway and south to Arcachon Bay, France.[3]

Okenia aspersa illustration accompanying the original description in A monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca

## Description

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This goniodorid nudibranch is translucent white in colour, with spots and blotches of red-brown and cream It shows marbling over the body, on the pallial tentacles, rhinophores and gills.[4]

## Ecology

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Okenia aspersa feeds on the tunicate Molgula occulta, family Molgulidae which lives buried in muddy sand seabeds.[5]

## References

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1. ^ Alder, J., & Hancock, A. (1845). A monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca: with figures of all the species. Pt. 1, fam. 1, pls. 4, 5, 26; fam. 3, pls. 3, 21, 24, 26, 34-36. Ray Society, London.
2. ^ Okenia aspersa (Alder & Hancock, 1845). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 10 January 2019.
3. ^ Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels. 50: pp. 180–213.
4. ^ Thompson, T. E., & G. H. Brown. 1984. Biology of opisthobranch molluscs, vol. 2, 229 pp., 41 pls. Ray Society, no. 156.
5. ^ Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2015). Okenia aspersa (Alder & Hancock, 1845). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.]

Taxon identifiers

Okenia aspersa|

* Wikidata: Q10608107
* Wikispecies: Okenia aspersa
* BOLD: 32971
* CoL: 492BN
* EUNIS: 60035
* GBIF: 5724708
* iNaturalist: 482697
* IRMNG: 10823777
* NBN: NBNSYS0000176813
* NCBI: 71368
* OBIS: 140035
* SeaLifeBase: 8507
* WoRMS: 140035