Aiteng is a genus comprising three species of sea slug, A. ater and A. mysticus being found in intertidal zones while A. marefugitus is fully terrestrial.[1][2][3] Aiteng is the only genus in the family Aitengidae. The generic name Aiteng is derived from the name of a black puppet Ai Theng, which is one of the shadow play (Nang yai) puppets in southern Thailand.[1]
Aiteng | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Family: | Aitengidae Swennen & Buatip, 2009[1] |
Genus: | Aiteng Swennen & Buatip, 2009[1] |
Swennen & Buatip (2009)[1] tentatively classified Aitengidae within the Sacoglossa,[1] but they noted that some characteristics of the nervous system are similar to those of the Cephalaspidea and Acochlidioidea (mentioned as Acochlidea).[1]
Aitengidae clusters within the Hedylopsacea as sister group to Pseudunelidae and Acochlidiidae or basal within Hedylopsacea.[4] Philippe Bouchet (2010)[5] classified Aitengidae within the superfamily Hedylopsoidea.[5]
Species in the genus Aiteng include:
The distribution of Aiteng ater includes Thailand.[1] The distribution of Aiteng mysticus includes Japan.[4] The distribution of Aiteng marefugitus includes Palau.
Aiteng ater lives "amphibiously" in mangrove forests in the intertidal zone, on the mud.[1]
This article incorporates CC-BY-2.0 text from the reference.[4]