Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Family Tethydidae. <i>Melibe mirifica</i>.(from Beesley, Ross & Wells 1998) [S. Weidland]

Family Tethydidae. Melibe mirifica.(from Beesley, Ross & Wells 1998) [S. Weidland]

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Regional Maps

Family TETHYDIDAE Rafinesque, 1815

Introduction

Unique to members of this family is the expanded cowl forming the head. The cowl is used to catch and retain food prior to ingestion. The animal casts the cowl forward rather like a fisherman casts his net. The rhinophores have a small lamellate club sitting in the cup-like top of the long cylindrical sheaths. A thin vertical flange may be present on the upper rear edge of the rhinophoral sheaths. Spindle-shaped or wedge shaped cerata project from each side of the body. Some tropical species exceed 300mm in length, but most are much smaller. Tethydids lack radular teeth, some have jaws, and most have a band of hard crushing plates in the stomach. When handled, tethydids exude a sweet sickly scent.

[Compiled from Burn (in press 2012)]

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
01-Dec-2011 OPISTHOBRANCHIA 01-Dec-2011 MOVED Dr Robin Wilson
01-Dec-2011 01-Dec-2011 MOVED
11-Jan-2016 25-Nov-2011 MODIFIED
24-Mar-2011 (import)