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Banyuls Aeolid

Distribution : Mediterranean · Atlantic Ocean

Through the streets of Coventry rides a noblewoman, her long flowing hair concealing her nakedness. This scene from the legend of Lady Godiva has inspired painters, poets and sculptors for centuries. In 1954, the story found an unexpected place in marine history: the name Godiva was chosen for a group of sea slugs whose long flowing fringes suggested a woman’s hair. The orange godiva, described a few years later from Banyuls-sur-Mer, was subsequently placed in that group.

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Habitat of Banyuls Aeolid Habitat
Hydroid
Depth range of Banyuls Aeolid Depth
5-35 m
Biological group of Banyuls Aeolid Group
Ecological role of Banyuls Aeolid Role
Predator

Average size

7 cm

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The long oral tentacles, those extending beside the mouth, broaden the head outline of the orange godiva (Nemesignis banyulensis). Behind them stand the rhinophores, two shorter orange, ringed projections.

The elongated, translucent, orange-toned body has white lines along the back. Long cerata, the soft projections gathered in side bunches, end in bright orange to red. They leave the tapering tail clear.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

Hydroid growth on rocky seabeds provides places to look for the orange godiva. It uses these surfaces in the Mediterranean and some nearby Atlantic regions at shallow to intermediate depths.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

The orange godiva can curl its foot around a hydroid stem as it climbs. This holds it close to its main food: the polyps making up the colony. Its radula removes these tiny animals. Feeding is best seen at the front of the body, against the hydroid, while the foot maintains its grip. On a narrow branch, movement and feeding take place at the same small scale.

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Banyuls Aeolid

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ArticlePHYLA WITHOUT THE FUSSRead the article →