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Glite Dictionary
Nudibranchia

Nudibranchia

9.9
A soft sea animal like a slug with no shell and bright colors
  • noun
  • /ˌnjuːdɪˈbræŋkiə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : nudibranquio
  • During our dive, we spotted several nudibranchia gliding along the coral reefs.

Examples

  • The vibrant colors of the nudibranchia make them a popular subject for underwater photography.

  • Both Tritonia and Melibe are in the order Nudibranchia, but P. californica is in the sister taxon Notaspidea; see diagram on opposite page.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Many species of nudibranchia have unique patterns that help them blend into their surroundings.

Synonyms

sea slug
vsNudibranchia
  • Specialized
3 6.5

A soft sea animal without a shell, often brightly colored

is the scientific order term rather than the general common name
nudibranch
vsNudibranchia
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A soft sea animal without a shell that is often brightly coloured

is the taxonomic order that groups these shell-less colorful marine mollusks

Surface Forms

Nudibranchia singular
Nudibranchias plural

Morphology

Nudibranchia = nudibranch (semi-transparent) = nudibranch + ia

Formally derived from 'nudibranch' with the Latin/taxonomic suffix '-ia'; the relation to the common noun is clear, but the taxonomic function of '-ia' and the exact rank ('order') may be unfamiliar to general learners.

Etymology

The word Nudibranchia comes from the Latin nudus meaning 'naked' and the Greek branchia meaning 'gills', so it means 'naked gills'. That's why Nudibranchia, or sea slugs, have no shell and often show feathery gills on their backs.