Discodoris ? from Florida

July 29, 2008
From: Geoffrey Smith


Dear Bill

This is the last of the nudibranch I found in Sarasota over the past few years that I was unable to ID. I believe it is some type of dorid nudibranch. It is orange is color and 1-2 inches in length. These were collected while pushing dip nets across a seagrass bed consisting mainly of Thallasia testudinum of and Syringodium filiforme. This nudibranch was often collected at the same time as the small green sea slug I previously sent you a message about. Any thoughts on an ID for this one?

Locality: New Pass in Sarasota, 2-5 feet, Florida, United States, Gulf of Mexico, several times in 2007 and 2008, seagrass bed. Length: 1-2 inches. Photographer: Geoffrey Smith.

On a side note I figured I would give you a list of other sea slugs I have found in Sarasota, FL: Aplysia morio, A. brasiliana, A. dactylomela, Bursatella leachii, Elysia spp., Oxynoe antillarum, Lobiger souverbii, Dondice occidentalis, Spurilla neapolitana, Haminoea solitaria, Bulla striata, Polycera hummi, Chromodoris clenchi, and Scyllaea pelagica. I think that is all of them.

Geoff

geoffreyhsmith@gmail.com

Smith, G.H., 2008 (Jul 29) Discodoris ? from Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21687

Dear Geoff,

The easiest answer would be Platydoris angustipes which looks like this in general shape and colour, but the raised rounded papillae all over the mantle don't look like a species of Platydoris at all. It looks to me like a species of Discodoris, but the common one you are likely to come across would be Discodoris evelinae, and although I am no expert on the fauna, I don't think a reddish colour form has been reported. Also the underside of  D. evelinae  is pale whitish with brown spots. From the reflection in your photos the underside is a uniform translucent pinkish colour.

Hopefully someone will recognise it for us. At present I will put it on the miscellaneous west Atlantic Discodoris page. Hopefully it won't stay there long

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Jul 29). Comment on Discodoris ? from Florida by Geoffrey Smith. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21687

Factsheet

Discodoris spp - west Atlantic warm water

Related messages

  1. Re: Discodoris ? from Florida
    From: Geoffrey Smith, August 15, 2008
  2. Discodoris evelinae? from Florida
    From: Linda Ianniello, September 26, 2002
  3. Dorid from Florida, USA
    From: Anne DuPont, March 13, 2001

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