Nudibrânquios (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) em placas de recrutamento no Porto do Pecém, Ceará

Abstract

Nudibranchia is the largest and most diverse group within Heterobranchia, having about 6,000 described species. They are characterized by being mainly marine, carnivores, having reduction or complete loss of the shell and the acquisition of chemical defenses. For Brazil, it is recorded 235 species, a number that is increasing due to new faunal survey works and description of species. The purpose of this study was a survey of nudibranchs present in artificial recruitment boards installed in the docking piers of the Port of Pecém, Ceará. The organisms were collected during the Project “Bentos em regiões portuárias ao longo da costa brasileira: Biodiversidade, Filogeografia e Aspectos de bioinvasão por biofouling”. For this, 30 plates for artificial recruitment were installed depth in the piers, to 5 meters deep. This work was realized among the years 2009 - 2012. 54 specimens were found, distributed in 11 species: Cratena minor, Miesea evelinae, Noumeaella sp., Phidiana lynceus, Marionia limceana, Flabellina sp., Facelinidae 1, Discodorididae 1, Nudibranchia 1, Nudibranchia 2 and Nudibranchia 3. The genre Noumeaella is a new record to West Atlantic and Miesea evelinae to Northeastern Brazil.