Sea butterflies (Clione limacina) are tiny marine snails that ‘fly‘ through the water using winglike flaps. They are also known as the Naked Sea Butterfly or Common Clione.
Their delicate, translucent shells and unique swimming style make them a captivating sight in the marine world. They represent a diverse group of gastropods that hold significant ecological importance within the oceanic ecosystem.
Read on to discover more about these fascinating creatures and their importance in the ocean.
Appearance
The parapodia, or lobes of the sea butterfly act as tiny wings, enabling them to glide through the water. As marine gastropods, a term that encompasses sea-dwelling snails and slugs, sea butterflies possess a unique adaptation in their class, Gastropoda.
The sea butterfly is one of the tiny marine snails, rarely being seen larger than 1 centimeter.
Their wing-like parapodia distinguish them from other marine gastropods by allowing them not just to crawl but to swim in the ocean’s pelagic zones. These wing-like parapodia enable them to travel through the water and follow the currents.
Sea butterflies possess simple eyes or eyespots. These are light-sensitive organs that allow them to detect changes in light intensity and potentially aid in navigation or predator avoidance. However, their vision is not considered highly developed.
Did you know…
Their shell is primarily composed of aragonite, a form of calcium carbonate, which is sensitive to changes in oceanic pH levels. This calcium carbonate shell body allows them to adapt to the acidified water of the oceans.
Habitat
The sea butterfly is a pelagic animal, meaning it occupies the most open of waters, rarely coming near the shore or the seafloor, and is found exclusively in seawater.
They are known to occupy waters off the western coast of America, ranging from British Columbia to California. They also inhabit the Arctic Ocean, Antarctic Ocean, and North Atlantic Ocean.
The pteropod Limacina helicina thrives in the Southern Ocean, contributing to the region’s biodiversity.
Diet
They feed on phytoplankton and other tiny marine organisms. It is believed that sea butterflies are mostly passive feeders and use plankton as their food source.
Sea butterflies use a 5 cm mucous web-like net to catch planktonic prey, effectively making them a significant part of the marine food web. This net is far bigger than the body of the sea butterfly. If their feed is disturbed, they will give up and throw the net away.
They exhibit a daily feeding pattern, migrating vertically within the water column to follow plankton. They typically ascend to the warm surface waters at night and descend to deeper waters at the start of the day.
Reproduction
Every sea butterfly possesses both male and female reproductive organs, making them hermaphrodites. However, until the butterfly grows, it starts as a male. Then later in life it produces eggs, which are released into the water until hatched.
During the larval stage, sea butterflies float freely, contributing to the ocean floor’s complex ecosystem once they mature.
Threats
One of the largest threats to the sea butterfly is the changes in its habitat. Due to the aragonitic shell of the creature, they are highly susceptible to the PH, or acidity of the water. As we know, humans are releasing more and more carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses into the air. This forces the ocean to absorb more CO2, which can cause ocean acidification or a change in the acidity of the ecosystem.
Sea butterflies have to contend with the threat of predators. Their extremely small size makes them an easy target and, more often a helpless prey. Sea birds, whales, and other fish also consume them.
4 More Amazing Facts About Sea Butterfly
- They are called the ‘sea butterfly’ due to the wing-like lobes that they use to travel through the water.
- Their presence indicates healthy coral reefs and is crucial for maintaining the balance within marine ecosystems.
- The species Limacina helicina, a common sea butterfly in the Arctic, plays a significant role in the Southern Ocean’s carbon cycle by consuming carbon-rich food near the surface and excreting it at greater depths.
- They are called “ice-floe angels” because of the mysterious way they swim with their winglike arms. They drify in cold winter waters along with ice floes.
FAQs
Is a sea butterfly rare?
Sea butterflies are far from rare as they are abundant in the oceans, making them vital to the food chain.
How do sea butterflies move?
Some sea butterflies have seen adaptations of their gastropodal foot, turning it into two lobes that resemble wings. These are called parapodia, which enables them to catch the water currents and move through the water.
What is the difference between a sea angel and a sea butterfly?
Sea angels and sea butterflies are both small, pelagic marine gastropods, but they exhibit distinct differences. Sea angels (Gymnosomata), lacking a shell, use wing-like flaps on their sides to ‘fly’ through the water. In contrast, sea butterflies (Thecosomata) possess a small, often transparent, shell and utilize wing-like parapodia for gliding. While sea angels are predatory, feeding on thecosomes among other prey, sea butterflies primarily consume plankton, often using a mucous web to trap their food.
Why do sea butterflies open their head?
Their heads open up when they attempt to catch their helpless prey. Once the head is opened, it grabs its prey with six special feelers called “buccal cones”. They deploy a mucous web or net that captures planktonic food from the surrounding water. This unique feeding mechanism allows them to gather enough nutrients,
