Bornella anguilla
Johnson, 1984
» If you find this species has been misidentified, please let us know
Below is comment from Dr. Bill Rudman, go to Sea Slug Forum to read more information
Dear Mike,
It's definitely a species of Bornella, but not B. stellifer. This species is reknowned for the swimming ability you witnessed. In fact it got its name, Bornella anguilla, from its ability to swim like an eel [anguilla = eel]. Other species of Bornella swim by lateral flexion of their whole body, flexing their body one way, and then the other, causing them to swim sidweways through the water. In B. anguilla on the other hand the whole body forms a wave, like in an eel or snake, which allows it to swim head first through the water. As your photo shows, the cerata, gills and rhinophores all fold in to streamline the body.
Concerning information on swimming in other sea slugs. I have a poor excuse for a Fact Sheet on swimming, but if you follow my suggestion there and do a search on the Forum for swimming you'll find quite a few examples.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
| Location: | Manado, Indonesia |
| Photographer: | Michael Henke |
| Camera: | Canon Digital IXUS 700 › View EXIF properties |
| Taken on: | November 6, 2006 |
| Viewed: | 396 times |
| Posted: | 9 months ago |
| Updated: | 7 months ago |
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Other photos of Bornella anguilla
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Opisthobranchia |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Dendronotina |
| Family: | Bornellidae |
| Species: | Bornella anguilla |
