Baptodoris mimetica
Gosliner, 1991

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae

DISTRIBUTION

This species can be found from Central California to Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico

PHOTO

Ragged Point, San Luis Obispo County, California, USA. Length: 25 mm. 25 May 2005. Rocky shore, low intertidal pool. Photographer: Jeff Goddard

Ground colour bright yellow, with small opaque white spots scattered over the dorsum. The rhinophores are uniformly brown, and the gills are a translucent white. The mantle is covered in microscopic caryophyllidia, similar to those found in species of Rostanga and Jorunna. There are 7-8 bipinnate gills 

This species is named after its striking similarity to the sympatric dorid Doriopsilla albopunctata. Living animals of the two species can be readily separated as Doriopsilla albopunctata has a soft fleshy texture, while Baptodoris mimetica is rigid and covered in fine caryophyllidia. The gills of D. albopunctata  are more branched and spread out to cover more of the mantle than B. mimetica,  whichs holds its gills almost vertical. Ventrally, B. mimetica has digitiform oral tentacles, while in D. albopunctata there are are only rudimentary tentacles on either side of the mouth. It reaches 25 mm in length.

• Gosliner, T.M. (1991) Four new species and a new genus of opisthobranch gastropods from the Pacific coast of North America. The Veliger, 34: 272-290.

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