The Notobranchaeidae, or "naked sea butterflies", are a taxonomic family of floating sea slugs, specifically under the subclass Opistobranchia, also called "sea angels".

Similar to other Pteropods, these pelagic marine heterobranch gastropod mollusks are holoplanktonic.

Morphology

While they are not particularly strong swimmers, the foot of these organisms is modified into wing-like structures, called parapodia that they employ for locomotion. Notobrachaeidae lack shells entirely as adults. However, they do possess a shell earlier on in their lives.

Behavior

Like other members of the clade Gymnosomata, Notobrachaeidae are highly specialized holoplanktonic carnivores. In other words, they spend their entire lives hunting in the water column and cannot swim against the column.

Genera and species

Genera and species in the family Notobranchaeidae include:

Genus: Notobranchaea <small>Pelseneer, 1886</small>

  • Notobranchaea bleekerae <small>van der Spoel & Pafort-van Iersel, 1985</small>
  • Distribution : Oceanic
  • Notobranchaea grandis <small>Pruvot-Fol, 1942</small>
  • Distribution : Oceanic
  • Length : 15&nbsp;mm
  • Notobranchaea hjorti <small>(Bonnevie, 1913)</small>
  • Notobranchaea inopinata <small>Pelseneer, 1887</small>
  • Distribution : Oceanic
  • Length : 5&nbsp;mm
  • Notobranchaea longicollis <small>(Bonnevie, 1913)</small>
  • Notobranchaea macdonaldi <small>Pelseneer, 1886</small>
  • Distribution : Bermuda, Oceanic
  • Length : 5&nbsp;mm
  • Notobranchaea tetrabranchiata <small>Bonnevie, 1913</small>
  • Distribution : Oceanic
  • Length : 16&nbsp;mm
  • Notobranchaea valdiviae <small>Meisenheimer, 1905</small>

;Genera brought into synonymy:

  • Microdonta <small>Bonnevie, 1913</small>: synonym of Notobranchaea <small>Pelseneer, 1886</small> (invalid: junior homonym of Microdonta <small>Dejean, 1835</small> [Coleoptera]; Schleschia is a replacement name)
  • Prionoglossa <small>Tesch, 1950</small>: synonym of Notobranchaea <small>Pelseneer, 1886</small>
  • Schleschia <small>Strand, 1932</small>: synonym of Notobranchaea <small>Pelseneer, 1886</small>

References

  • Bouchet, P., Rocroi, J.-P. (2005). Classification and nomenclature of gastropod families. Malacologia. 47(1–2): 1-397 .
  • MolluscaBase (2019). MolluscaBase. Notobranchaeidae Pelseneer, 1886. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=23080 on 2019-04-16
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M. J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213
  • Bonnevie K. (1913) Pteropoda from the "Michael Sars" North Atlantic Deep-Sea Expedition 1910. Report on the Scientific Results of the "Michael Sars" North Atlantic Deep Sea Expedition 1910 3(1) 1-85, pls. 1-9.