Titiscania limacina Bergh, 1875
Superfamily: NERITOIDEA
Family: Titiscaniidae
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical Indo-Pacific
PHOTO
Marsa Nakari, 1 m, Egypt, Red Sea, 17 July 2008. Length: 1 cm. Photographer: Sylvain Le Bris
Titiscania limacina lacks a shell, and although very slug-like in appearance is a neritoidean snail. It's most common relatives are the intertidal neritids [Nerita spp, Neritina spp] which have heavily calcified shells. There are also terrestrial neritodean snails, such as the Hydrocenidae and Helicinidae.
The mantle cavity is a dorsal pocket just behind the head. It opens forwards, and sometimes the tip of the single gill can be seen poking out. There is a row of whitish glands down each side of dorsum which exude a thick white defensive secretion when the animal is disturbed. It has been reported from shallow waters on coral reefs, but we know little else about its biology.
Authorship detailsRudman, W.B., 2008 (August 16) Titiscania limacina Bergh, 1875. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/titiscania
