Jorunna+funebris

**Other common names:** Funeral Nudibranch, Dotted Nudibranch, Mourning Nudibranch
 * __Polka-dot Nudibranch, //Jorunna funebris// (Kelaart, 1858) __** toc

 //Jorunna funebris//. Photo by Ria Tan Remember the “sea bunny” //Jorunna parva// that took over the internet previously? If you have missed out on the hype, here’s a video on how //Jorunna parva// became an internet star overnight with its adorable demeanour. media type="youtube" key="7EH5FHnER2g" height="360" width="640" Video Credit: Jukin' Media (via YouTube)

However, you do not need to travel all the way to Japan to meet one of these cute little“sea bunnies”. Meet our very own endearing local Polka-dot Nudibranch, //Jorunna funebris//! media type="youtube" key="YB-wdAPjA_c" height="360" width="640" Video Credit: Peter Seow (via YouTube)  If you do not intend to finish the whole article, you should click HERE to see why you are NOT supposed to touch them when you see them, even though they may be very tempting to pet. =**1. What is a Nudibranch? **=

Latin ‘nudus’ = naked, Greek βραγχια, ‘brankhia’ = gills.

Nudibranch is a group of soft-bodied snails that have lost their shells when they transit from larvae to adults. All nudibranch are carnivorous [1].

Here are some of the typical structures that you will be able to find on a nudibranch

Typical structures found on nudibranch. Modified and adapted from Ken Bondy. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some useful terms to know [1]: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">**Oral tentacles:** A pair of tentacle, which is located on either side of the mouth of nudibranchs, used for food location and recognition by taste or touch. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">**Rhinophores:** A pair of sensory tentacles, which is located on the head or anterior section of nudibranchs, used primarily for chemosensory (smell, taste). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">**Dorsum:** The exposed back or top surface of a nudibranch mantle. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">**Foot:** The large muscle mass on which gastropods move.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nudibranch often exhibit brilliant colours and come in many beautiful forms, a photo example featuring //Chromodoris annae// is shown below.



<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Chromodoris annae// by Elias Levy (Creative Commons) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">The bright colours usually serve as warning signs for certain species’ toxicity, while others simply blend into the surroundings to camouflage. Flower-like feathery external gill could be present on some of the nudibranchs’ backs whereas others have them hidden between the body mantle and the foot. Most nudibranchs have two pairs of tentacles - oral tentacles and rhinophores.

=**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">2. Common Mistaken Identities **=

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">All nudibranch is a sea slug but not all sea slug is a nudibranch.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here are some examples of sea slugs from the Phylum Mollusca but different Orders.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Photo taken by Ria Tan ||= <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Photo taken by Ria Tan ||= <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;"> Photo taken by Benjamin Nadden (Creative Commons) ||
 * || **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">1. Sea Hares (Order Anapsidea) ** || **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. Sap-sucking slugs (Order Sacoglossa) ** || **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">3. Nudibranch (Order Nudibranchia) ** ||
 * =  ||= [[image:Sea Hare.jpg width="289" height="196" align="center"]]
 * = **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Species ** || //<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aplysia extraordinaria // || //<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thuridilla sp. // || //<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chromodoris lochi // ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rhinophores ** |||||| <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">One pair of rhinophores present. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Oral **<span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Tentacles || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">One pair of oral tentacles || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Oral tentacles absent || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">One pair of oral tentacles ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gills ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Internal gills || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Internal gills || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">External gills ||

=**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">3. Diagnostics (How do you identify //Jorunna funebris//?) **=


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">External Morphology **

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (Adapted and modified from Creative Commons) //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">has a very characteristic white body (also known as dorsum) with black circular markings. Although they may look a bit like //Jorunna parva//, it is very easy to tell them apart when you look at the black spots. //Jorunna parva// has small fully pigmented black spots all over its body. Meanwhile, //Jorunna funebris// has larger non-fully pigmented black spot-like patterns, made up of tiny black spots within the ring, something that makes it very unique from other nudibranch species. However, it is also worthy to note that //Jorunna funebris// may exhibit slight variations in colour, from white to cream yellow body and dark brown to black ringed-patterns.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Other features to look out for include black-tipped rhinophores and black edging on the white feathery gills on the back [3]. Adult //Jorunna funebris// can vary from 15 mm to over 70 mm long, with an average length 35 mm [5].

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Photo taken by Rickard Zerpe (Creative Commons) ||< <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Photo taken by Benjamin Naden (Creative Commons) ||
 * < [[image:789.jpg.png width="512" height="359"]]
 * = //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna parva //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">. ||= //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">. ||

=**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">4. Biology **=


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">4.1. Life History **

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is a hermaphrodite, which means it has both male and female reproductive organs. The genital openings lie on the right side of the body, so the animals position themselves side-by-side in opposite directions before mating. It lays white ribbon-like eggs [1].



<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mating //Jorunna funebris// pair. Photo taken by Ria Tan

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ribbon-like eggs of //Jorunna funebris//. Photo taken by Ria Tan.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">4.2. Diet **

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Jorunna funebris// feeding on Jorunna Blue Sponge (//Neopetrosia// sp.). Photo by Ria Tan. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Jorunna funebris// are found to feed only on sponges. Examples of sponges eaten by //Jorunna funebris// include //Xestospongia sp.//, //Haliclona sp.//, //Euplacella cf. australis//, and //Oceanapia sp// [5]. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">4.3. Defence ** <span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So how does a soft (and cute-looking) animal like //Jorunna funebris// protect itself from harm? <span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By throwing out undigested food remains that was accumulated and sequested into the jorumycin cyctotoxin [7]. Jorumycin is being found in the mucus, this suggests that jorumycin is used as a chemical defence for //Jorunna funebris// [7]. <span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Other methods of defence include having sharp spicules (spine-like structure), to protect itself from harm [5]. =**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">5. Distribution and Range **=


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">5.1. Habitats **

//<span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> is commonly found in seagrass meadows, coral rubble, and coral reefs [4].

<span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Photo taken by Rebecca Weeks (Creative Commons) || <span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Photo taken by Jim Maragos (Creative Commons) || <span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Photo taken by Jeffrey Low (Creative Commons) || media type="custom" key="29478495" <span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Map adapted from the database of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum [4] <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt;">In Singapore, this species has been recorded at Chek Jawa, Cyrene Reef, Kusu Island, Labrador Nature Reserve, Lazarus Island, Pulau Hantu, Pulau Jong, Pulau Satumu, Pulau Seringat, Pulau Semakau, Raffles Lighthouse, Sisters Islands, St John's Island [4]. <span style="background: white; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not only so, //Jorunna funebris// can also be found in a widely varying geographic distribution including South Africa, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Central China Sea, Philippines and Indonesia. The map shown below from Global Biodiversity Forum roughly points out some of the locations with recorded appearances of //Jorunna funebris// [5]. Do note that the records are incomplete. //Jorunna funebris// @ Global Biodiversity Information Facility (90) [CAS Invertebrate Zoology (IZ) (34); Australian Museum provider for OZCAM (20); Museum Victoria provider for OZCAM (17); NMNH Invertebrate Zoology Collections (10); invertebratezoology (8); Naturalis Biodiversity Center (NL) - Mollusca (1) [5]. =**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">6. Status and Conservation **=
 * || [[image:taxo4254/141516.jpg width="264" height="199"]]
 * **<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Location ** || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Seagrass Meadows || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Coral Reefs || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Coral Rubble ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">5.2. Distribution **

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Jorunna funebris// is not listed under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nonetheless, developments along shorelines and reclamations could easily lead to destructions of habitats for //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Also, accidental trampling by curious visitors and over-collection could impact local populations [1].

=**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">7. Taxonomy and Systematics **=

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Kingdom: Animalia <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Phylum: Mollusca <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Class: Gastropoda <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Order: Nudibranchia <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Family: Discodorididae <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genus: //Jorunna// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Species: //Jorunna funebris//
 * 7.1. ****<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Taxonavigation [7] **** : **


 * 7.2. Type Specimen **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">A syntype, under the name of //Kentrodoris annuligera// Bergh 1876, is currently located in the Gastropoda collection of the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen. The specimen is labelled ZMUCGAS-2109, and was collected in the Philippines [3].


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">7.3. Original Species Description **

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna. funebris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> was first described by Kelaart in 1858 under //Doris funebris// [3].

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Original description by Kelaart. Retrieved from Natural History Museum Library, London. (Fair Use)


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">7.4. Synonyms **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Doris funebris// Kelaart, 1859 (original combination) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Kentrodoris maculosa// Eliot, 1906 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Kentrodoris gigas// Bergh, 1876 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Kentrodoris annuligera// Bergh, 1876 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Discodoris wetleyi// Allan, 1932 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Kentrodoris funebris// (Kelaart, 1859) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Doris funebris// Kelaart, 1859 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//Jorunna zania// Ev. Marcus, 1976

=**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">8. Phylogeny **=


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 14pt;">Phylogeny within //Jorunna// **

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">In a phylogenetic study of the genus //Jorunna//, took into account only morphological characters for the analysis [3]. A total of thirty-five morphological characters were used in the construction of this phylogeny. //Discodoris boholiensis// Bergh, 1877 and //Doris verrucosa// were used to root the tree [7]. //Diaulula sandiegensis// was also included for comparison since, it has caryophyllidia like //Jorunna//. These outgroup taxa were selected as they were known to be basal to the rest of the caryophyllidia-bearing dorids, and //Diaulula sandiegensis// forms a polytomy with //Jorunna// [3]. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">The tree obtained below, shows the proposed relationship between //Jorunna funebris// and other species from the genus //Jorunna//.




 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">A. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Preliminary phylogeny of the genus //Jorunna//. Strict consensus tree with Bremer support analysis. Large numbers on the branches show the Bremer support values, small numbers show the character evolution (see text). Italic numbers indicate reversals. **B.** 50% Majority rule tree of five most parsimonious trees. From <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">Camacho-Garcia and Gosliner (Fair Use) [3].

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Camacho-Garcia and Gosliner's phylogenetic analysis shows that the genus //Jorunna// is a monophyletic group supported by four morphology characters – prolongation of the posterior foot, stomach free, accessory gland and copulatory spine. //Diaulula sandiegensis// was also found to be the sister group to //Jorunna// [3].

=**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">9. References **=

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[1]: Wild Fact Sheets. (n.d.) Nudibranch. Retrieved from http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/nudibranchia.htm (Accessed on 6th November 2017).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[2]: Wild Fact Sheets. (n.d.) Slugs: nudibranch, sea hare or sap-sucking slug? Retrieved from http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/nudiharesac.htm (Accessed on <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">6th November 2017).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[3]: Camacho-García, Y. E., & Gosliner, T. M. (2008). Systematic revision of //Jorunna// Bergh, 1876 (Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) with a morphological phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 74(2), 143-181.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[4]: The DNA of Singapore. (n.d.) //Jorunna funebris//. Retrieved from http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/dna/organisms/details/105 (Accessed on <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px;">6th November 2017).

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt;">[5]: Great Barrier Reef Invertebrates. (n.d). //Jorunna funebris//. Retrieved from http://www.gbri.org.au/Species/Jorunnafunebris.aspx?moid=554&PageContentID=1665 (Accessed on 6th November 2017).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[6]: Wild Fact Sheets (n.d.). Polka-dot Nudibranch. Retrieved from http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/slugs/nudibranchia/funebris.htm (Accessed on 6th November 2017).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">[7]: Encyclopaedia of Life. (n.d.). //Jorunna funebris//, Midas cichlid. Retrieved from http://eol.org/pages/4884933/overview (Accessed on 6th November 2017).

<span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: 0px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 6227px; width: 1px;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">

//<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jorunna funebris //<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> feeding on Blue Jorunna Sponge (//Neopetrosia// sp.). Photo by Ria Tan.

// Jorunna funebris // only feed on sponges. Examples of sponges eaten by //Jorunna funebris// include Xestospongia sp., Haliclona sp., Euplacella cf. australis, and Oceanapia sp.