Article
Article
Nudibranchia
Article By:
Gosliner, Terrence M. Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California.
Last reviewed:August 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.461400
The largest clade of Opisthobranchia (gastropod mollusks), containing about 3000 species. Members of the Nudibranchia (nudibranchs) are found in all oceans from the intertidal zone to the deep sea, including hydrothermal vents. Nudibranchs (see illustration) represent a monophyletic group of sea slugs whose members entirely lack a shell as adults. In order to defend themselves, they have evolved complex defensive mechanisms, including the incorporation of toxic secondary compounds from their prey or toxins that they produce de novo. See also: Gastropoda; Mollusca; Opisthobranchia; Toxin
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