Naked Sea Butterfly

Overview

Clione limacina, commonly known as the naked sea butterfly or sea angel, is a pelagic sea slug belonging to the order Pteropoda. This gelatinous organism moves gracefully through the water column using wing-like swimming appendages known as parapodia. It was the first gymnosomatous, or shell-less, pteropod species to be formally described by scientists.

Appearance

Unlike many other gastropods, this species completely lacks an external shell as an adult. Its translucent body reveals internal organs and features a distinct head equipped with sensory tentacles and oral cones used for capturing prey.

Feeding

This species is a specialized predator that feeds predominantly on shelled pteropods, particularly from the genus Spiratella. It uses specialized buccal cones to extract its prey cleanly from their shells during hunting.