Sea Butterfly (Limacina helicina)
A keystone species of mesozooplankton in Arctic pelagic ecosystems. Limacina helicina has been recognised as a species complex comprising two sub-species and at least five forms. They produce large mucus webs to filter-feed on phytoplankton but also small zooplankton. They eat the web with the captured prey and then re-reproduce a web net. Its main diet also involves the juvenile specimen of its own species (cannibalism).
Limacina helicina is protandric hermaphrodite.They will begin as males that are smaller at sizes of 4-5 mmand then change to females, which are larger than 5 mm.
