Felimare zebra

Felimare zebra, common name the zebra doris, is a colourful species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.^[1][2]

Felimare zebra
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Nudibranchia
Family:	Chromodorididae
Genus:	Felimare
Species:	F. zebra
Binomial name
Felimare zebra (Heilprin, 1889)
Synonyms[1]
Chromodoris zebra Heilprin, 1889 (basionym) Doris scacchii Chiaje, S. delle, 1830, "1822" Glossodoris zebra Heilprin, A., 1888 Hypselodoris zebra (Heilprin, 1889)

Distribution

This nudibranch is known only from Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean.^[3][4]

Description

Felimare zebra is a rather large nudibranch and can reach a total length of at least 180 mm (7.1 in). It has a black body with longitudinal orange lines running along the body and dorsum. Its mantle edge is usually white, sometimes dotted with black spots. The gills are a translucent colour outlined in black, and the rhinophores are completely black. There is some colour variation in this species.^[5][6] Its similarity to Felimare picta was explored in an investigation into the close relationship of Felimare picta, Felimare bayeri, Felimare tema, Felimare lajensis and Felimare zebra.^[7]

Ecology

Minimum recorded depth is 1 m and maximum recorded depth is 18 m.^[8] This species feeds on the sponge Dysidea etheria.^[9]