Samlidae Family of Nudibranchs

One Nudiranch of the  Samlidae Family can be found in this website:

Pink Telja Nudibranch, Samla telja. A representative of the Samlidae Family of Nudibranchs.

Phylogeny: Nudibranchs of the Samlidae Family  are sea slugs in the phylum Mollusca and the order Nudibranchia. They are soft-bodied gastropods that lose their shells during their larval phase. Nudibranchs have “naked gills” exposed on their backs that are utilized to separate nudibranchs into two main classifications, the aeolids and the dorids. The Aeolids have a mantle that forms a series of finger-like projections (cerrata) along the entire back of the animal. The Dorids have a thick mantle on their back (dorsal surface) that extends over the foot. Their gills consist of feathery plumes that encircle the anus. The order Nudibranchia is comprised of six suborders and thirteen superfamilies. The Samlidae Family is in the suborder Aeolidina and the superfamily Samloidea. Samlidae is the only family within this superfamily. The Samlidae family is small, with only two genera and eight species. This is a relatively new family. Until 2017 these species were classified in the Flabellinidae Family of Nudibranchs. The name Samlidae comes from the Swedish word meaning “to collect together”, though it is not clear what that refers to.

Morphology:  Samlidae Nudibranchs have narrow tapering bodies, with pointed tails. The notal edge (margin of the dorsal mantle) may be discontinuous or absent.  Their mantle forms a series of finger-like projections (cerata) along the entire back of the animal. These cerata function as gills, they assist with digestion, and they can incorporate stinging cells, from their prey, as a defense mechanism. Their cerrata may be arranged in several distinct rows or in separate clusters on elevated rows. Like all nudibranchs, they have rhinophores (horn-like projections) on their heads. Rhinophores are chemosensory organs help them to locate food and potential mates. The rhinophores are shorter than the oral tentacles. Samlidae Nudibranchs lack complex eyes, but have photoreceptors that sense light and dark. These photo receptors are located at the base of the rhinophores. The anterior corners of the foot form moderate to long tentacles (propodial tentacles). Many species in the Samlidae Family have translucent, light-colored, bodies with colorful cerrata. Nudibranchs in the Samlidae Family reach a maximum of 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in length.

Habitat and Distribution: Samlidae Nudibranchs are generally found on rocks, reefs, rock walls, pilings, and other hard substrates. They live from very shallow waters to depths of 50 m (164 feet). They are found worldwide in subtropical to tropical waters. The Pink Telja Nudibranch is the only this species from the Samlidae Family is found in Mexican waters.

Reproduction:  Samlidae Nudibranchs are simultaneous hermaphrodites (having male and female reproductive organs). They reproduce sexually by hypodermic insemination. This occurs when both mating partners dart their penis toward each other to induce one to act as a male and the other as the female. The victorious one to penetrate the body wall is the dominant male. The eggs are laid as a mass. The eggs hatch into veliger larva and later metamorphose into adults.

Ecosystem Roles: Samlidae Nudibranchs are predators that feed in hydroid polyps. Predation of species in the Samlidae Family is poorly documented. Fish and other nudibranchs appear to be the most consistent predators.