- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Gastropoda
- Subclass: Heterobranchia
- Order: Gymnosomata
- Family: Clionidae
- Scientific name: Clione limacina
- Norwegian: hvalåte
Characteristics:
The transparent, cylinder shaped body of the common clione, also called the naked sea butterfly, may reach a length of 7-8 cm. The snail foot has developed into two small "wings", positioned close to the small head. There are some deep red pigmentation on the tip of the tail.
Habitat:
The common clione is usually found between the surface and a depth of 350 meters. Like plankton, it is a pelagic species. It is known to migrate vertically towards the surface in the night.
Distribution:
Traditionally, the common clione has been regarded as a bipolar species, but recent research suggests that the northern and a southern variants should be regarded as separate species.