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Corolla spectabilis

THE RACE ROCKS TAXONOMY
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Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Ctenophora
Subclass Opisthobranchia

Order

(Suborder)

Thecosomata

(Pseudothecosomata)
Family Cymbuliidae
Genus Corolla
Species spectabilis
Common Name: Pteropod

Pteropods are occasionally found in the plankton that passes by Race Rocks and are found distributed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans..They have a transparent body with no external shell. An internal gelatinous pseudoconch provides protection and skeletal support. A continuous plate is formed by the oval wings which are marked by indentations.A long proboscis partially fused with the wing plate.The pteropod has a wingspan of up to 8cm. It lacks radula and jaws and it has a distinctive dark gut nucleus.Because it is planktonic, its biotic associations include predation by anything that eats jellyfish.

REFERENCE: ''Pacific Coast Pelagic Invertebrates'' by David Wrobel and Claudia Mills
Note: This source had an error which was pointed out to us by Moira Galbraith of DFO:

"I think that your video in the Race Rocks portion of the website is actually of Corolla spectabilis. The 12 mucous glands on the anterior lateral borders of the wing plate are a species characteristic; C.calceola will have 18. Also according to Carol Lalli, only Corolla spectabilis occurs in the eastern Pacific.
See http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/ActaErrata.html for an update.
pteropod
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The Race Rocks Taxonomy
Copyright
Lester B. Pearson College
This file is provided as part of a collaborative effort by the students of Lester B. Pearson College Date:
Oct 2003 		Christina MacDonald