Re: Doto uva from Jamaica

Dear Linda,

Yes I did say before that I don't know how anyone can confidently identify this species which was described from a single 4.5 mm long specimen from Brazil. Your upper animal does look like the one that is identified as D. uva in Caribbean Sea Slugs but I can't really see how they came to that conclusion on the very little we know about that species. In some ways Ortea's 2001 paper clarifies the situation, but in other ways it complicates it.

It makes me wonder whether your three photos represent 3 different species! Your animal in the lower photo [and middle right close-up] reminds me a bit of the Pacific species, Doto ussi, which has been reported to live on the stinging hydroid Aglaophenia cupressina. Interestingly your animal also seem to be living on one of the thick-stalked species of hydroid. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Marcus's Doto divae from the scalloped edge to the rhinophore sheath.

And the animal in the middle left photo looks quite like Ortea's illustrations of Doto cabecar. Hopefully Dr Ortea could give us his opinion on these species. There is little point in me making hopeful guesses so I am putting your message on an unidentified Caribbean Doto page. Hopefully it won't stay there long.

Please continue to photograph them on their hydroid prey and if you are lucky enough to find them with their egg masses, I am sure your photos will be a valued asset for future researchers.

• Ortea, J. (2001). The genus Doto Oken, 1815 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) in the Caribbean sea: Natural History and new species description (in Spanish). Avicennia Supplement 3: 1-46.

Best wishes
Bill Rudman