Shell-less, pelagic marine gastropod, often described as a swimming sea slug, belonging to the clade Gymnosomata within the phylum Mollusca. They are tiny gelatinous creatures (often 1–3 inches) that use wing-like structures, adapted from a muscular foot, to swim.
Key facts (Clione species)
Locomotion: They use wing-like appendages called parapodia to fly through the water column
Classification: They are gastropods, making them related to snails and slugs, specifically within the Gymnosomata clade (meaning “naked body” because they lose their shell after larval stages).
Characteristics: They are transparent, often with orange or red organs, and are often confused with, but distinct from, sea butterflies (Thecosomata).
Diet: Sea angels are specialized predators, feeding almost exclusively on sea butterflies.
“The Deadly Sea Angels” has a lot of info in it, 5:10. Go to subsequent pages for short videos.
Sea angels and sea butterflies
Mating
