Common Eyelash vs common grey sea slug

Scutellinia scutellata compared with Aeolidia papillosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Eyelash	common grey sea slug
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Pezizales (Pezizales)	Nudibranchia (Nudibranchia)
Family	Pyronemataceae	Aeolidiidae
Genus	Scutellinia	Aeolidia
Species	Scutellinia scutellata	Aeolidia papillosa

Conservation Status

Common Eyelash

LC — Least Concern

common grey sea slug

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Eyelash	common grey sea slug
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Eyelash

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

common grey sea slug

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Eyelash

The Common Eyelash (<em>Scutellinia scutellata</em>) is a small cup fungus belonging to the genus Scutellinia within the family Pyronemataceae. It is recognised by its distinctive scarlet to bright red disc-shaped fruiting body, typically measuring just a few millimetres across, and fringed with dark brown hair-like structures resembling eyelashes, from which its common name derives. This species is native to Asia and Europe and North America, and typically inhabits decomposing wood, moist soil, and other organic substrates in humid environments. Its geographic range is wide, with confirmed records across Asia including Taiwan, Europe including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Portugal, North America including the United States, and South America including Brazil. <em>Scutellinia scutellata</em> is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its broad distribution and apparent abundance. Biological traits such as lifespan, size, and specific dietary habits remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, though as a saprotrophic fungus it typically obtains nutrients by decomposing dead organic matter.

common grey sea slug

<em>Aeolidia papillosa</em>, commonly known as the common grey sea slug, is a nudibranch mollusc belonging to the genus Aeolidia within the family Aeolidiidae. Despite the species name referencing terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater, <em>Aeolidia papillosa</em> is primarily a marine organism. Its range includes Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, indicating a distribution across the North Atlantic and into South American waters. Common grey sea slug is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species is typically found in intertidal and subtidal zones, where it preys on sea anemones and stores stinging cells from its prey in its dorsal cerata for defense. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden