A more detailed account is available here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskD8TMGF
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Body
Up to 40mm long, exceptionally 55mm; high dome profile. Varies white, brown, black, or yellow (P. Lightfoot) https://flic.kr/p/oJLWhQ . Pale colours may be mottled or freckled darker. Soft, tall, thin, conical tubercles on mantle give shaggy appearance, but sometimes not well developed (J. Anderson) https://flic.kr/p/Aes3Cj .
Long rhinophores often bent and tilted outwards. About 7 voluminous gills, usually with opaque white along each side of midribs forming a star.
Key identification features
Acanthodoris pilosa
1: Soft, tall, thin, conical tubercles on mantle 6Ap flic.kr/p/Nrc9wu , but sometimes contracted/ poorly developed and not so distinctive (J. Anderson) flic.kr/p/Aes3Cj.
2: Body soft and yielding. Usual maximum length 40mm.
3: Voluminous tripinnate gills can contract but not retract into pocket; usually, opaque white along each side of midribs forms a star when gills expanded 4Ap flic.kr/p/NKYeKt .
4: Narrow oral veil extended laterally into broad, flat oral tentacles. Anterior of veil has two protrusions centrally. 12Ap flic.kr/p/Nrc6WE
5: Upper lamellated part of large rhinophores often bent backwards 7Ap flic.kr/p/NQxst9 .
Ecology
On mid- and lower-shore and sublittorally to about 170m. Adults occur in all months; commonest in spring when spawning at maximum. Spawn an undulating ribbon attached in a spiral of few turns.
Acanthodoris pilosa
The map provided here shows the distribution of the species based on Conchological Society data held by the National Biodiversity Network (NBN). See terms and conditions.
The following datasets are included:
- Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland: marine mollusc records
Open an NBN Atlas interactive map of this data in a new window.
Taxon details available from MolluscaBase (AphiaID 140627):
Acanthodoris pilosa (Abildgaard [in Müller], 1789)
The UK NBN Atlas entry for the species can be accessed via this link.