Doto kya from Northern California

August 19, 2006
From: John Albers-Mead

I found this guy in a tide pool at Bean Hollow State Beach in Northern California. He's my first Doto find and I was curious if anyone knew anything more about it.

Locality: Bean Hollow State Beach, 6 cm, California, USA, Pacific, 10 August 2006, Intertidal. Length: ~12 mm. Photographer: John Albers-Mead.

Thanks.
John

nudibranch@jaminc.com

Albers-Mead, J., 2006 (Aug 19) Doto kya from Northern California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17486

Hi John,

Bean Hollow (aka Arroyo de Freoles) brings back many youthful memories, but no sightings of Doto for me.  Species of Doto are very hard to accurately identify from photographs, but because your specimen has a fluted margin on the rhinophoral sheath, and white ceratal cores, I am guessing it is Doto kya Marcus, 1961.  Most specimens have brown flecks and blotches on the body.

This species reaches about 10 mm in length and feeds on the hydroids, Abietinaria, Obelia, Plummularia, Sarsia and Eudendrium.

Best wishes,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2006 (Aug 19). Comment on Doto kya from Northern California by John Albers-Mead. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17486

Factsheet

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