Dendrodoris from the Canary Ids

May 26, 2000
From: Ángel Valdés

Dear Bill,

I think that animal showed in the picture by Erwin Koehler is indeed Dendrodoris grandiflora. There are two species of Dendrodoris in the Canary Islands, D. grandiflora and D. herytra. In general D. grandiflora is a gray species with dark spots, whereas D. herytra is uniformly reddish. However, there is a huge variability in color within the same species. The most accurate way to identify species is looking at the internal anatomy. The penial hooks are in my opinion the best taxonomic character. I know this is very frustrating for amateurs who do not have the time or the materials to study the anatomy of the nudibranchs they collect. I wish we could find a better way to distinguish species of Dendrodoris.

Angel

avaldes@calacademy.org

Valdes, A., 2000 (May 26) Dendrodoris from the Canary Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2449

Dear Ángel,
Thanks for the confirmation. As you say, many of the Atlantic species seems to be similarly coloured. Any comparative photos you have of them for the Forum would be welcome.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Factsheet

Dendrodoris grandiflora

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