Doris verrucosa
<p><em>Doris verrucosa</em> Linnaeus, 1758</p>
Doris verrucosa. Pigmented specimen. Rhinophore lamellae and swollen stem with fine freckles of pigment. Tubercles dark apically. Peripheral tubercles small. Lower shore. July 2012. Faro, Portugal. Leg. det. G. Calado. Conf. M. Poddubetskaia.
D. verrucosa. Rhinophore with (l) 10 lamellae, pale shade of mantle, (s) swollen translucent stem and pair of (g) large guard-tubercles at base, connected by (c) collar bearing smaller tubercles. Mantle tubercles (t), swollen upper part and narrow base.
Species
Photographer / copyright holder
Siôn Roberts http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwylan/
October 2005. Lorient, Brittany, France. Det. J. Prkić. Conf. M. Poddubetskaia.
Doris verrucosa. Unpigmented specimen. Tubercles same colour as mantle, large and swollen, except smaller on periphery. October 2005. Lorient, Brittany, France. Det. J. Prkić. Conf. M. Poddubetskaia.
Doris verrucosa. About 40mm L, 20mm W . Pigmented form with dark patches on mantle and dark tubercle tips. Lower shore among Mytilus in estuary on bridge pillar. July 2012. Faro, Portugal. Leg. & det. G. Calado. Conf. M. Poddubetskaia.
Doris verrucosa. Unpigmented specimen. Translucent rhinophores and unipinnate gills similar colour to, but a bit paler than, mantle. October 2005. Lorient, Brittany, France. Det. J. Prkić. Conf. M. Poddubetskaia.
Doris verrucosa
Distribution and status
Belgium and South coast England to Portugal and Spain, and into the Mediterranean and Adriatic. Also west Atlantic from Brazil to Massachusetts (GBIF map) and possibly southern Africa and Madagascar . Only accepted British record: Devon, 1900. Scottish records on NBN dubious.
Ecology and behaviour
Intertidal to about 15m depth (near Naples). Often found in areas with much soft sediment such as lagoons (e.g.Thau and Arcachon, France), in ports and on Zostera beds. On shore, often found under stones or in sponge growth. Diet: sponges; spicules exclusively from Hymeniacidon sanguinea (70%) and Halichondria panicea (30%) in faecal remains examined in Galicia, Spain by Urgorri & Besteiro (1984). In Bay of Naples, commonest and largest in June and July. Simultaneous hermaphrodite. Spawn mass: white wavy ribbon attached by edge in spiral of about 5 turns, (SSF)
Key identification features
Doris verrucosa
- Large species, up to 70mm long.
- Ground colour of mantle usually whitish (DORIS), yellow [1], orange-brown [2], light violet, greyish (DORIS) or pale flesh-colour.
- Some lack surface pigment so colour almost uniform ground-colour.
- Pigmented specimens often have dorso-lateral bands of brown (SSF), red-brown (SSF), black-brown [2], grey(SSF), or violet (DORIS).
- Often, centre of dorsum is palest part of mantle (SSF).
- Tubercles, vary from very small to very large, virtually all inflated, clubbed or torpedo-shape (SSF) with narrower base [4].
- Tubercles sometimes darkened by pigment, occasionally nearly like distinctly darker black-brown apices of D. ocelligera [2].
- Rhinophores yellowish or whitish, similar to colour of mantle (SSF).
- Pair of large guard-tubercles at base of rhinophore, connected by collar usually bearing two smaller tubercles [4].
- Swollen lobe either side of mouth; no linear oral tentacles.
- Gills usually concolorous with, or paler than, mantle, rarely much darker [1].
- Gill pit surrounded by low collar bearing about one spatulate guard-tubercle per plume [6]; about 50% guard-tubercles noticeably larger than others.
- All tubercles smooth (not with protruding spicules), including those around gill and rhinophore pits.
- Spawn mass: white wavy ribbon in spiral of about 5 turns, (SSF).
References and links
Current taxonomy: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
Donnees d’observations pour le reconnaissance et l’identification de la fauna et la flore subaquatique (DORIS).
Koehler, E., Opisthobranchs of the Mediterranean Sea
Rudman, W.B., The Sea Slug Forum (SSF)
Schmekel, L. & Portmann, A., 1982. Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres. Berlin- Heidelberg.
Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H. 1984. Biology of opisthobranch molluscs 2. London, Ray Society.
Urgorri V. & Besteiro C., 1984. La alimentacion de los moluscos nudribranquios de Galicia. The feeding habits of the nudibranchs of Galicia Iberus, 4: 51-58. (Link is to several volumes, slide to p.53 Vol 4).
Taxon version key
[NBNSYS0000175005]
Sort order
5690
Taxonomic group
Marine slug
Body