Bornellidae

Bornellidae
Bornella stellifer
Bornella anguilla
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Dendronotacea
Superfamily: Dendronotoidea
Family: Bornellidae
Bergh, 1874
Genera

See Genera

Bornellidae is a family of nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs or sea slugs, in the superfamily Dendronotoidea.[1]

Description

Nudibranch species within the Bornellidae family have elongated bodies, with pairs of cerata-like dorsal and lateral appendages, with finger-like branches, running along the length of the body. Each of these appendages has an attached cluster of gills. Their rounded head has a tentacle on either side of the mouth, with tiny finger-like papillae. The rhinophores on the head resemble the dorsal appendages.

Nudibranchs within this family are believed to feed exclusively on hydroids.

Genera

The following genus is recognised in the family Bornellidae:[1][2]

Once placed inside this family, molecular phylogenetic analyses now recover the genus Pseudobornella as a member of Dendronotidae.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O (eds.). "Bornellidae Bergh, 1874". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  2. ^ Pola, Marta; Rudman, William B.; Gosliner, Terrence M. (2009-01-12). "Systematics and preliminary phylogeny of Bornellidae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Dendronotina) based on morphological characters with description of four new species". Zootaxa. 1975 (1): 1–57. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1975.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
  3. ^ Pola, Marta; Gosliner, Terrence M. (2010-09-01). "The first molecular phylogeny of cladobranchian opisthobranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56 (3): 931–941. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.05.003. ISSN 1055-7903.
  4. ^ Korshunova, Tatiana; Bakken, Torkild; Grøtan, Viktor V.; Johnson, Kjetil B.; Lundin, Kennet; Martynov, Alexander (2020). "A synoptic review of the family Dendronotidae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia): A multilevel organismal diversity approach". Contributions to Zoology. 90: 93–153. doi:10.1163/18759866-bja10014.