Description: Body consists of 5 distinct parts, a head lobe, body and shell with 2 parapodial lobes to the sides and a tail lobe which is slightly cleft at the tip. Philine quadripartita can grow to over 70 mm in length. Species of Philine feed on foraminifera and bivalves which they crush with 3 calcareous gizzard plates.

Habitat: Soft mud and sand, crawling at the surface with mucus covering and burrowing into the mud.

Distribution: Found all around Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: There are several other species of Philinidae in the area which are smaller. Laona pruinosa is 17 mm in length with a translucent white body with white pigmented borders to the parapodial lobes. Philine scabra has a narrow body and is translucent white and reaches 20 mm in length. The other species are 5-16 mm in length and white, brown or mottled in colour. They are distinguished by the sculpting of their shells.

Key Identification Features:

• White flattened slug.
• Back of the body divided into 5 lobes.

Distribution Map from NBN: Philine quadripartita at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Philine quadripartita at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Philine quadripartita

WoRMS: Philine quadripartita at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Philine quadripartita Ascanius, 1772. AphiaID: 574582.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Mollusca; Gastropoda; Heterobranchia; Euthyneura; Tectipleura; Cephalaspidea; Philinoidea; Philinidae; Philininae; Philine