Unknown dorid from France

December 21, 2000
From: Alex Vanhaelen


Dear Bill,

My name is Alex VANHAELEN, from Belgium. This dorid was spotted by an acquaintance (Christian PIRON) at ERQUY (N.E. Atlantic-France - northern coast of Brittany) at the end of september 2000.

Length: 8 to 9 cm.; Number: 5 to 6 animals, sighted by several divers; Depth: 10 m.;
Eggs: ribbon, about 4 cm. in breadth, color pale yellow. They were seen on several algae, sponges and hydrozoa.

1) The surface of the back appears to be without knobs, quite smooth.
2) I spotted darker spots on the side of the back.
3) I counted about 10 to 11 gills in the branchial plume, which looks a pale purple.

I wonder if it is in the genus Jorunna, but I'm not sure and I have certainly no idea about the species name. Due to the presence of several individuals + egg ribbons, I consider this an established population and not an accidental one (e.g. an aquariologist's dump). I know of a Jorunna tomentosa in our area (UK-France-Belgium-Netherlands) but that species has never been pictured with a pantherlike color pattern.

I usd Mr PICTON's field guide, THOMPSON & BROWN 1976, De Nederlands zeenaaktslakken (= The Dutch Opisthobranchs) from SWENNEN en DEKKER (KNNV 183-sept 1987) and browsed through a lot of webpages, but to no avail. Can you help me in identifying this dorid ?

Many thanks for your help.
Alex VANHAELEN
Belgium

a_vanhaelen@hotmail.com

Vanhaelen, A., 2000 (Dec 21) Unknown dorid from France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3295

Dear Alex,
I am not an expert on the Atlantic fauna but I think your animal is Dendrodoris limbata. See Angel Valdes' discussion below on northeastern Atlantic dendrodorids. He will certainly be able to tell us if I am right or not and whether your find outside the Mediterranean is particularly unusual.

Species of Jorunna have a furry appearance because their mantle is covered with small spiculate tubercles called caryophyllidia. I have photographs of these on the pages for Jorunna funebris and J. pantherina.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Dec 21). Comment on Unknown dorid from France by Alex Vanhaelen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3295

Factsheet

Dendrodoris limbata

Related messages

  1. Dendrodoris limbata from Thau, French Mediterranean
    From: Dominique Horst, November 27, 2007
  2. Dendrodoris limbata from the Atlantic coast of France
    From: François Le Méhauté, February 2, 2007
  3. Dendrodoris limbata from Mediterranean France
    From: Patrick Noel, June 28, 2005
  4. Dendrodoris grandiflora or D. limbata?
    From: Adam Petrusek, October 13, 2003
  5. Dendrodoris limbata from Tunisia
    From: Anis, May 7, 2003
  6. Juvenile Dendrodoris limbata from Tunisia
    From: Anis, May 7, 2003
  7. Dendrodoris limbata from Turkey
    From: Baki Yokes, October 6, 2002
  8. Dendrodoris limbata from the Mediterranean
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, August 1, 2002
  9. Dendrodoris limbata - colour variation
    From: Constantine Mifsud, March 1, 2001
  10. Dendrodoris limbata from French Atlantic
    From: Angel Valdés , February 28, 2001
  11. Re: Dendrodoris limbata from Brittany
    From: Alex VANHAELEN, December 22, 2000
  12. Re: Dendrodoris limbata from Brittany
    From: Angel Valdes, December 21, 2000
  13. Dendrodoris limbata from Croatia
    From: Erwin Koehler, February 24, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages