About Limacia clavigera (O.F.Müller, 1776)
Limacia clavigera is a small dorid nudibranch that reaches a maximum length of 20 mm. It has a white body with numerous orange-tipped projections across its body, and scattered, raised orange spots covering its notum. Both its gills and perfoliate rhinophores also have orange tips. This species is commonly found on the lower shore and in sublittoral algae belts along the Atlantic coast of Europe from Norway to Portugal, including the British Isles. It occurs from the intertidal zone down to depths of at least 20 m. In the Mediterranean Sea, it is replaced by the related species Limacia inesae. There have also been reports of Limacia clavigera along the South African coast, from Saldanha Bay to Port Alfred. This disjunct distribution indicated that multiple related species were previously grouped together under the Limacia clavigera name. Some of the South African specimens previously identified as Limacia clavigera belong to Limacia lucida, and the rest belong to Limacia jellyi. Ecologically, Limacia clavigera feeds on the encrusting bryozoans Electra pilosa and Membranipora membranacea. It is often spotted on red algae or kelp that are encrusted with these bryozoans. Its egg ribbon forms a flat, broad spiral made of several coils.
