Sea Angels Research Paper
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CLIONE LIMACINA EATING HABITS AND THE DECLINING OF THEIR FOOD!
ESSENTIALS OF MARINES LIFE!
MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE!
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Sea angel!
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Sea angels have been parts of arctic ecosystem since the beginning of Ice
age. The 8irst sea angels’ ancestor lived during Palaeozoic era. This era began approximately 540 million years ago, before the domination of dinosaurs in Cretaceous period, and lasted about 290 million years. Palaeozoic era is
where marine creatures governed the earth. It also classi8ied in to six chronological period, which are Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and lastly Permian (“Table of Geological Periods,” n.d.). My hypothesis is sea angels’ ancestor 8irst appeared in Cambrian period because at that time it was the proliferation of invertebrate sea life. In the following paragraphs, there will be details of sea angels in depth about their taxonomy, foods, appearance, classi8ication, etc. Also, in recent years, numerous of human action decrease number of marine lives drastically, including sea angels and other arctic creatures, will also be discussed.
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Sea angels is considered to be in cellular life because it has cells and have
all 7 characteristic that life must have which is homeostasis, metabolism, organisation, growth, adaptation, respond to stimuli, and reproduction (“Life -‐
Taxonomy
Clione Limacina
Life
Cellular Life
Domain
Eukarya
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Subclass
Heterobranchia
Infraclass
Opisthobranchia
Order
Gymnosomata
Superfamily
Clionoidea
Family
Clionidae
Genus
Clione
Species
Limacina
! de8inition,” 2011). Sea angels are in Eukarya domain in Animalia kingdom, in Mollusca phylum, and in Gastropoda class, in Heterobranchia subclass, Opisthobranchia infraclass, and in Gymnosomata order accordingly (“WoRMS -‐ World Register of Marine Species -‐ Clione Pallas, 1774,” n.d.). The Mollusca phylum made up of invertebrate organisms. Class Gastropoda is also know as snails and slugs, it a class below Mollusca phylum. Heterobranchia is de8ine as snails and slug that live under water. Opisthobranchia is a large and various group of unique complex marine gastropods, previous united under Opisthobranchia infraclass within Heterobranchia subclass. Gymnosomata order is a large group of sea slugs that can also classi8ied in to different superfamilies and families. For sea angles, their superfamily is Clionoidea and their family
taxonomy is Clionidae. Finally, their Genus is Clione (“WoRMS -‐ World Register of Marine Species -‐ Clione Pallas, 1774,” n.d.).
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These unusual snails are pelagic, suited with swimming
parapodia. These creatures are shell-‐less carnivores they have strong jaws and grasping tentacles, similar to those of cephalopods, for example, nautilus and octopus (“ADW: Gymnosomata: INFORMATION,” n.d.). Sea angels or Clione limacina are transparent and small The average length of sea angels are approximately 1 centimetre, but the largest being up to 5 centimetres(“คลีโอเน่” n.d.). Sea angels habitat is mostly in deep and shallow freezing, approximately 2 degree Celsius, area such as Arctic, Greenland, Denmark, Japan, and Antarctica. They can be found anywhere from the surface to as deep as 350 meters. Their main food is Thecosomata, also known as sea butter8lies. They only need to eat once a year because they can hold a large number of fatty acid in their body.
To elaborate, Clione limacina has one of a kind extraordinary eating habits.
These non-‐shelled pteropods, Clione limacina, appears to feed exclusively on
species Thecosomata, shelled pteropods, especially on Genus: Spiratella, also known as sea butter8lies. When Clione limacina encountered their prays, its will swiftly releases set of six tentacles, which are in facts can be eversible, then grab
the shell of Thecosomata and bend it around until opening of the shell is facing the mouth of Clione limacina. In this stage, Clione limacina will use a pair of sacs, called hook sacs, to charge a large chitinous hooks and grasp it prays. Normally, it took about half an hour for Clione limacina to pull Thecosomata out of their shells and consume it whole. When they done with eating they will drop the empty shell to the abyss (“The Sea Slug
Forum -‐ Clione limacina,” n.d.). Both Clione limacina and Thecosomata are well known to 8isheries biologists as ordinary members of plankton in 8ishing grounds. They relationship between each other is carnivore and herbivore pray relationships. The ratio of prey per one predator is shockingly high, often reaching more than 500 to 1. Clione limacina itself got eaten by 8ish and sea birds (Goerden, 2013). Moreover, Clione limacina does not have eyes, but most group of sea slugs have eyes, but it is not good enough for slugs to be able to see anythings with them. The only group of snails and slugs that have that can form images is cephalopods, member of Mollusca phylum (Rudman, 2006).
To know more about Clione limacina, it is essential also, to know about
their foods, Thecosomata in brief. Thecosomata or sea butter8lies share that same wing-‐like organ called parapodia. Parapodia are lateral extensions of the foot, which those creatures use to swim with the zooplankton. But the form of parapodia are slightly different in both groups, as is their way of surviving. While Thecosomata are quite slow swimmers equipped with large sail-‐shape parapodia, fed on plankton. Whereas, Clione limacina are rather fast swimmers with tiny 8in-‐like parapodia, hunting Thecosomata, among other organisms (“SEA ANGELS,” n.d.). Unlike other sea gastropods, which spend only a part of their life as a plankton, in other word, Meroplankton, Clione limacina and Thecosomata spend their entire life as plankton. Clione limacina and Thecosomata considered to be Holoplanktonic life forms. As such they have a large signi8icant part of the marine food web, they serve as food to 8ish and birds
as well as to whales. Like most Opisthobranchs, Thecosomata do have to reduce their shells for the bene8it of better mobilities, but most of them still have a thin and translucent shell made from calcium carbonate. This organisms are being threaten by raising acidity in the oceans. It assumed that Thecosomata, major source of foods for Clione limacina, may be extinct in some parts of earth by 2050 (“Snails and Slugs,” n.d.).
Clione limacina breeds and lay eggs in any of water masses within range
commonly inhabits, commonly from surface to approximately 500 metres. The most intensive spawning is synced with spring and summer periods due to the warming of local water temperature, and abundance of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is maximise in this period because it is also a suitable temperature to breed for them. Phytoplankton which serve as food veliger larvae (“Sea Angel -‐ Clione limacina -‐ Overview -‐ Encyclopedia of Life,” n.d.). A Veliger is the planktonic larva of many kinds of gastropods and molluscs. Clione limacina another special ability is that they are protandrous hermaphrodite (“Clione limacina, Arctic Ocean biodiversity,” n.d.). Protandrous hermaphrodite occurs when organisms born becoming male and later in life it change their sex to female.
Clione limacina is legal to sale as pets. Mr. Morgan, Chief Scienti8ic Services
Team in CITES, state that“Clione ssp. is not regulated under CITES” (2013). So it is possible for individuals to own Clione limacina without any license. Currently, there is a shop in Japan, called Qulio, that sells Clione limacina with its special tanks. To own a Clione is extremely challenge due to needing their natural arctic environment. As a result “Qulio” come up with their special tanks that have similar currents in the natural world ,and also constantly chill water temperature. As a result, it is very dif8icult to own them as pets without expensive equipments.
The only responsibility is that sea water need to be added once a month to compensate amount of water that evaporate.
To conclude, Clione limacina is transparent organisms with parapodium
movements. Their main source of foods is Thecosomata. In today contemporary, Clione limacina is facing with the declining of their foods due to amount of toxic in the oceans. Thecosomata will face brick of extinction in the near future if toxic waste are continuingly being dumped into the oceans. As consequence, Clione limacina will lose their main source of food and then will also face the same fate as Thecosomata. Another factors that will also reduce number of these two creatures drastically is mining fossil fuels in Antarctica. It doubtless that mining
oils cause exorbitant impacts to the environment and local organisms, planktons will die, and also will corals. Antarctica should not be mined in order to save numerous plants and corals including Thecosomata and Clione limacina.
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References !
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ADW: Gymnosomata: INFORMATION. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/
Gymnosomata/
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Clione
limacina, Arctic Ocean biodiversity. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2013, from http://www.arcodiv.org/watercolumn/pteropod/
Clione_limacina.html
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Goerden,
G. (2013, October 3). The Sea Butter8ly Effect. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://epoch-‐archive.com/a1/en/ca/yvr/
2013/10-‐Oct/03/Page%2013%20Science.pdf
!
Life
-‐ de8inition from Biology-‐Online.org. (2011, May 25). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.biology-‐online.org/dictionary/
Life
!
Morgan,
D. (personal communication, 2013, November 5). Species Database Resource.
Rudman, B. (2006, December 12). Does C.Limacina Have Eyes. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from http://www.seaslugforum.net/8ind/
18905
!
Sea
Angel -‐ Clione limacina -‐ Overview -‐ Encyclopedia of Life. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://eol.org/pages/451920/ overview !
SEA
ANGELS. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http:// www.underwaterworld.com.sg/explore/exhibits/sea-‐angles.html !
Snails
and Slugs (Gastropoda). (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://molluscs.at/gastropoda/index.html?/gastropoda/sea/ pteropoda.html !
Table
of Geological Periods | Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001822.html
!
The
Sea Slug Forum -‐ Clione limacina. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http://www.seaslugforum.net/8ind/cliolima
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WoRMS -‐ World Register of Marine Species -‐ Clione Pallas, 1774. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2013, from http://www.marinespecies.org/ aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137793 !
คลีโอเน่
นางฟ้าแห่งท้องทะเล. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.dek-‐d.com/board/view/1608419/
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
CLIONE LIMACINA EATING HABITS AND THE DECLINING OF THEIR FOOD!
ESSENTIALS OF MARINES LIFE!
MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Sea angel!
!
Sea angels have been parts of arctic ecosystem since the beginning of Ice
age. The 8irst sea angels’ ancestor lived during Palaeozoic era. This era began approximately 540 million years ago, before the domination of dinosaurs in Cretaceous period, and lasted about 290 million years. Palaeozoic era is
where marine creatures governed the earth. It also classi8ied in to six chronological period, which are Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and lastly Permian (“Table of Geological Periods,” n.d.). My hypothesis is sea angels’ ancestor 8irst appeared in Cambrian period because at that time it was the proliferation of invertebrate sea life. In the following paragraphs, there will be details of sea angels in depth about their taxonomy, foods, appearance, classi8ication, etc. Also, in recent years, numerous of human action decrease number of marine lives drastically, including sea angels and other arctic creatures, will also be discussed.
!
Sea angels is considered to be in cellular life because it has cells and have
all 7 characteristic that life must have which is homeostasis, metabolism, organisation, growth, adaptation, respond to stimuli, and reproduction (“Life -‐
Taxonomy
Clione Limacina
Life
Cellular Life
Domain
Eukarya
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Gastropoda
Subclass
Heterobranchia
Infraclass
Opisthobranchia
Order
Gymnosomata
Superfamily
Clionoidea
Family
Clionidae
Genus
Clione
Species
Limacina
! de8inition,” 2011). Sea angels are in Eukarya domain in Animalia kingdom, in Mollusca phylum, and in Gastropoda class, in Heterobranchia subclass, Opisthobranchia infraclass, and in Gymnosomata order accordingly (“WoRMS -‐ World Register of Marine Species -‐ Clione Pallas, 1774,” n.d.). The Mollusca phylum made up of invertebrate organisms. Class Gastropoda is also know as snails and slugs, it a class below Mollusca phylum. Heterobranchia is de8ine as snails and slug that live under water. Opisthobranchia is a large and various group of unique complex marine gastropods, previous united under Opisthobranchia infraclass within Heterobranchia subclass. Gymnosomata order is a large group of sea slugs that can also classi8ied in to different superfamilies and families. For sea angles, their superfamily is Clionoidea and their family
taxonomy is Clionidae. Finally, their Genus is Clione (“WoRMS -‐ World Register of Marine Species -‐ Clione Pallas, 1774,” n.d.).
!
These unusual snails are pelagic, suited with swimming
parapodia. These creatures are shell-‐less carnivores they have strong jaws and grasping tentacles, similar to those of cephalopods, for example, nautilus and octopus (“ADW: Gymnosomata: INFORMATION,” n.d.). Sea angels or Clione limacina are transparent and small The average length of sea angels are approximately 1 centimetre, but the largest being up to 5 centimetres(“คลีโอเน่” n.d.). Sea angels habitat is mostly in deep and shallow freezing, approximately 2 degree Celsius, area such as Arctic, Greenland, Denmark, Japan, and Antarctica. They can be found anywhere from the surface to as deep as 350 meters. Their main food is Thecosomata, also known as sea butter8lies. They only need to eat once a year because they can hold a large number of fatty acid in their body.
To elaborate, Clione limacina has one of a kind extraordinary eating habits.
These non-‐shelled pteropods, Clione limacina, appears to feed exclusively on
species Thecosomata, shelled pteropods, especially on Genus: Spiratella, also known as sea butter8lies. When Clione limacina encountered their prays, its will swiftly releases set of six tentacles, which are in facts can be eversible, then grab
the shell of Thecosomata and bend it around until opening of the shell is facing the mouth of Clione limacina. In this stage, Clione limacina will use a pair of sacs, called hook sacs, to charge a large chitinous hooks and grasp it prays. Normally, it took about half an hour for Clione limacina to pull Thecosomata out of their shells and consume it whole. When they done with eating they will drop the empty shell to the abyss (“The Sea Slug
Forum -‐ Clione limacina,” n.d.). Both Clione limacina and Thecosomata are well known to 8isheries biologists as ordinary members of plankton in 8ishing grounds. They relationship between each other is carnivore and herbivore pray relationships. The ratio of prey per one predator is shockingly high, often reaching more than 500 to 1. Clione limacina itself got eaten by 8ish and sea birds (Goerden, 2013). Moreover, Clione limacina does not have eyes, but most group of sea slugs have eyes, but it is not good enough for slugs to be able to see anythings with them. The only group of snails and slugs that have that can form images is cephalopods, member of Mollusca phylum (Rudman, 2006).
To know more about Clione limacina, it is essential also, to know about
their foods, Thecosomata in brief. Thecosomata or sea butter8lies share that same wing-‐like organ called parapodia. Parapodia are lateral extensions of the foot, which those creatures use to swim with the zooplankton. But the form of parapodia are slightly different in both groups, as is their way of surviving. While Thecosomata are quite slow swimmers equipped with large sail-‐shape parapodia, fed on plankton. Whereas, Clione limacina are rather fast swimmers with tiny 8in-‐like parapodia, hunting Thecosomata, among other organisms (“SEA ANGELS,” n.d.). Unlike other sea gastropods, which spend only a part of their life as a plankton, in other word, Meroplankton, Clione limacina and Thecosomata spend their entire life as plankton. Clione limacina and Thecosomata considered to be Holoplanktonic life forms. As such they have a large signi8icant part of the marine food web, they serve as food to 8ish and birds
as well as to whales. Like most Opisthobranchs, Thecosomata do have to reduce their shells for the bene8it of better mobilities, but most of them still have a thin and translucent shell made from calcium carbonate. This organisms are being threaten by raising acidity in the oceans. It assumed that Thecosomata, major source of foods for Clione limacina, may be extinct in some parts of earth by 2050 (“Snails and Slugs,” n.d.).
Clione limacina breeds and lay eggs in any of water masses within range
commonly inhabits, commonly from surface to approximately 500 metres. The most intensive spawning is synced with spring and summer periods due to the warming of local water temperature, and abundance of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is maximise in this period because it is also a suitable temperature to breed for them. Phytoplankton which serve as food veliger larvae (“Sea Angel -‐ Clione limacina -‐ Overview -‐ Encyclopedia of Life,” n.d.). A Veliger is the planktonic larva of many kinds of gastropods and molluscs. Clione limacina another special ability is that they are protandrous hermaphrodite (“Clione limacina, Arctic Ocean biodiversity,” n.d.). Protandrous hermaphrodite occurs when organisms born becoming male and later in life it change their sex to female.
Clione limacina is legal to sale as pets. Mr. Morgan, Chief Scienti8ic Services
Team in CITES, state that“Clione ssp. is not regulated under CITES” (2013). So it is possible for individuals to own Clione limacina without any license. Currently, there is a shop in Japan, called Qulio, that sells Clione limacina with its special tanks. To own a Clione is extremely challenge due to needing their natural arctic environment. As a result “Qulio” come up with their special tanks that have similar currents in the natural world ,and also constantly chill water temperature. As a result, it is very dif8icult to own them as pets without expensive equipments.
The only responsibility is that sea water need to be added once a month to compensate amount of water that evaporate.
To conclude, Clione limacina is transparent organisms with parapodium
movements. Their main source of foods is Thecosomata. In today contemporary, Clione limacina is facing with the declining of their foods due to amount of toxic in the oceans. Thecosomata will face brick of extinction in the near future if toxic waste are continuingly being dumped into the oceans. As consequence, Clione limacina will lose their main source of food and then will also face the same fate as Thecosomata. Another factors that will also reduce number of these two creatures drastically is mining fossil fuels in Antarctica. It doubtless that mining
oils cause exorbitant impacts to the environment and local organisms, planktons will die, and also will corals. Antarctica should not be mined in order to save numerous plants and corals including Thecosomata and Clione limacina.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
References !
!
ADW: Gymnosomata: INFORMATION. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/
Gymnosomata/
!
Clione
limacina, Arctic Ocean biodiversity. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2013, from http://www.arcodiv.org/watercolumn/pteropod/
Clione_limacina.html
!
Goerden,
G. (2013, October 3). The Sea Butter8ly Effect. Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://epoch-‐archive.com/a1/en/ca/yvr/
2013/10-‐Oct/03/Page%2013%20Science.pdf
!
Life
-‐ de8inition from Biology-‐Online.org. (2011, May 25). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.biology-‐online.org/dictionary/
Life
!
Morgan,
D. (personal communication, 2013, November 5). Species Database Resource.
Rudman, B. (2006, December 12). Does C.Limacina Have Eyes. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from http://www.seaslugforum.net/8ind/
18905
!
Sea
Angel -‐ Clione limacina -‐ Overview -‐ Encyclopedia of Life. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://eol.org/pages/451920/ overview !
SEA
ANGELS. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http:// www.underwaterworld.com.sg/explore/exhibits/sea-‐angles.html !
Snails
and Slugs (Gastropoda). (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://molluscs.at/gastropoda/index.html?/gastropoda/sea/ pteropoda.html !
Table
of Geological Periods | Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2013, from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001822.html
!
The
Sea Slug Forum -‐ Clione limacina. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2013, from http://www.seaslugforum.net/8ind/cliolima
!
WoRMS -‐ World Register of Marine Species -‐ Clione Pallas, 1774. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2013, from http://www.marinespecies.org/ aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137793 !
คลีโอเน่
นางฟ้าแห่งท้องทะเล. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2013, from http://www.dek-‐d.com/board/view/1608419/
!
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