Doris verrucosa

Doris verrucosa
The warty dorid on a group of sponges, head end to the bottom of the image
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Dorididae
Genus: Doris
Species: D. verrucosa
Binomial name
Doris verrucosa
Linnaeus, 1758[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Archidoris granosa Bergh, 1907
  • Doridigitata verrucosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Doris biscayensis P. Fischer, 1872
  • Doris derelicta P. Fischer, 1867
  • Staurodoris bobretzkii Gadzikiewicz, 1907
  • Staurodoris verrucosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Staurodoris verrucosa var. mollis Eliot, 1906

Doris verrucosa is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Dorididae.[2]

Taxonomic history

The initial description by Linnaeus was based on older descriptions by Rumphius and and was possibly not the species called by this name by subsequent taxonomists. In order to stabilise the nomenclature the name Doris verrucosa was conserved by the creation of a neotype.[3]

Description

The warty dorid is a yellow-brown oval nudibranch with a distinctive warty skin. It has eight gills arranged around the anus and its rhinophores are perfoliate. It may reach a total length of 30 mm.[4] The maximum recorded length is 70 mm.[5]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean off France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ireland.[6] It has been reported from South Africa, where it is commonly known as the Warty dorid, but this may prove to be a separate, closely related species. [7] The maximum recorded length is 70 mm.[5]

Ecology

The warty dorid feeds on the crumb-of-bread sponge, Hymeniacidon cf. perlevis, which it closely resembles in colour. Its egg mass is a tall upright collar of several complete whorls. Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.[5] Maximum recorded depth is 14 m.[8]

References

  1. Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae. ii, 824 pp, page(s): 653
  2. 1 2 Gofas, S. (2004). Doris verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758. In: MolluscaBase (2016). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2016-12-03.
  3. ICZN, Opinion 1980 (case 3088), (2001) Doris verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758 (Mollusca, Gastropoda): Generic and Specific Names Conserved by the Designation of a Neotype Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 58(3) September 2001.
  4. Zsilavecz, G. (2007). Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3
  5. 1 2 3 Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
  6. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (October 19) Doris verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  7. Zsilavecz, G. (2007). Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3
  8. Gosliner, T.M. (1987). Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
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