Chelidonura hirundinina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chelidonura hirundinina |
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| Chelinodura hirundinina | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
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| Superfamily: |
Philinoidea
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| Family: |
Aglajidae
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| Genus: |
Chelidonura
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| Species: |
C. hirundinina
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| Binomial name | |
| Chelidonura hirundinina (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
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| Synonyms | |
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Chelidonura hirundinina is a small, colorful sea slug. It's a type of mollusk that doesn't have a shell. This interesting creature belongs to a family called Aglajidae.
Even though it's very colorful, it's not a nudibranch. It's a "headshield slug," which is a different kind of sea slug. You can find this tropical species in the western Indo-Pacific and also in the Caribbean Sea.
What Does It Look Like?
This sea slug can grow up to 40 millimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. However, it is often smaller than that. Its main color can be red, orange, dark brown, or even black.
It has bright blue, black, and orange stripes on its body. There's also a white mark near its back end.
The two long "tails" at the end of its body are special. They are a key feature of all Chelidonura slugs. These slugs also have special sensory hairs on their head. They use these hairs to find their food.
The name hirundinina comes from a Latin word. It means "little swallow". This name was chosen because its tails look like a swallow's tail.
Life and Habits
Chelidonura hirundinina sea slugs eat flatworms. They are active during the day, which means they are diurnal.
Images for kids
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Mating sea slugs
