How Do Opisthobranchs Respire?

The opisthobranch breathing is done with unique organs for this group of animals called cerata

and branchial plumes or gills. The cerata are structures created as a finger or stick, arranged in uniform groups along each side of the mantle of the animal. ... Phanerobranchs lack a sheath for the gills to be hidden.

How do nudibranchs breathe?

Nudibranchs breathe either through their skin or they use the tuft of secondary gills many species carry on the tail end of their back. The dorsal appendages of nudibranchs also are referred to as cerata (κερόϛ - Greek: The Horn).

Are cerata gills?

Another common type of nudibranch, aeolids, has a series of soft spikes known as cerata along their backs. The cerata are not gills exactly, but as the aeolids absorb oxygen through their skin, the cerata increase the surface area of the nudi, helping them absorb more oxygen. Dorid nudibranch, Phyllidia sp.