04 Placida dendritica

04 Placida dendritica

3.5 mm long. August 2013. LWS, Menai Strait, Wales. Main route (1 to 1) of the green digestive gland runs under bases of cerata on each side and into the rhinophores and metapodium with dendritic branches into the head (2) and foot (3), and with diverticula into and filling the cerata. No cnidosac in tip of cerata (4), but often obscured by white pigment spots on the surface (5). Large cerata (6) are positioned more dorsally than the small ones (7). There is an eye laterally at the base of each rhinophore.
The green cytoplasm (‘cell sap’) filling the digestive gland and diverticula is initially dark after ingestion (left image) and fades later (right image).

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