Berthella ocellata
(delle Chiaje, 1828)

Order: NOTASPIDEA
Superfamily: PLEUROBRANCHOIDEA
Family: Pleurobranchidae

DISTRIBUTION

Widespread in Mediterranean - Italy, France, Spain, Cyprus.

PHOTO

Upper: Cap d'Antibes, 17m., France. 17 July 2003. Photo: Jean-Pierre Bielecki. Lower: Italy, summer 1999, depth 15m. Photo: Wolfgang Seifarth.

 

Described as having whitish spots surrounded by white oval rings. Reported to feed on the sponges Plakina trilopha and Plakinastrella copiosa.

 

  • Cattaneo-Vietta, R. (1986) On Pleurobranchomorpha from Italian seas (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia). The Veliger, 28(3): 302-309.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (September 23) Berthella ocellata (delle Chiaje, 1828). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/bertocel

Related messages


Berthella ocellata from French Mediterranean

August 20, 2008
From: Dominique Horst


Hi Bill,

I'm sharing a few pictures about Berthella ocellata which I found recently for the first time.

Locality: Antibes, 8 m, France, Mediterranean sea, 14 August 2008. Length: 40 mm. Photographer: Dominique Horst.

Kind regards,
Dom.

dominique.horst@wanadoo.fr

Horst, D., 2008 (Aug 20) Berthella ocellata from French Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21809

Thanks Dom,

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Aug 20). Comment on Berthella ocellata from French Mediterranean by Dominique Horst. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21809

Berthella ocellata from the Canary Islands

August 25, 2006
From: Christian Kowalewski

Hallo,
I found this pleurobranch while I was just making a night tour walking around the rocky areas at low tide; there are lots of of more or less deeper pools (a few cm to a few meters).  I found this single individual in about 2 m.

Locality: Tenerife Island (Canary Islands), 2 m, Spain, Atlantic Ocean, 14 August 2006, intertidal pools. Length: 5 cm. Photographer: Kowalewski Christian.

Thanks
Christian

moratorix@gmx.de

Kowalewski, C.J., 2006 (Aug 25) Berthella ocellata from the Canary Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17570

Dear Christian,
This is Berthella ocellata
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Aug 25). Comment on Berthella ocellata from the Canary Islands by Christian Kowalewski. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17570

Berthella ocellata from Cyprus

May 11, 2006
From: Vasilis Athanasopoulos

Hi Bill,

If this is a Berthella ocellata, then I guess the 'Distribution' info on the main page of this species should be changed to include Easter Mediterranean too, since I found this species in Cyprus. I think that the opaque white rings, visible around the edge of the translucent clear spots, are characteristic. Am I right/wrong?

Locality: Protaras, 10m, Cyprus, Mediterranean, 02 April 2006, algae covered rocks. Length: 7-8cm. Photographer: Vasilis Athanasopoulos.

Thank you
Vasilis

biotechmail@gmail.com

Athanasopoulos, V., 2006 (May 11) Berthella ocellata from Cyprus. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16581

Dear Vasilis,
Yes this is Berthella ocellata. The name of this species comes from the latin ocellus meaning a 'little eye' usually formed by a ring or rings of different colours. So yes the white rings are indicative of the species. However sometimes the rings are absent and only the colorless rounded tubercle in the middle remains.

I am pretty sure Berthella ocellata has not been recorded in the eastern Mediterranean but sometimes records are published in local publications without a wide distribution, and so difficult to find. I am sure however that someone will tell us if  B. ocellata if I have missed an earlier record. It would be surprising if it did not occur in the eastern Mediterranean but it is always good to get confirm these things.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (May 11). Comment on Berthella ocellata from Cyprus by Vasilis Athanasopoulos. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16581

Berthella ocellata from Mediterranean France

October 21, 2005
From: Francis Bronnec

Hello,
I believe this slug is Berthella ocellata but I've never seen such a whitish specimen.

Locality: Frontignan, France, Mediterranean Sea. Depth: 12 m. Length: 50 mm. 15 september 2005. Photographer: Francis Bronnec

Is it really this species.
Thanks for your help,
Francis Bronnec

fbronnec@aol.com

Bronnec, F., 2005 (Oct 21) Berthella ocellata from Mediterranean France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15066

Dear Francis,
From the shape of its head, with enrolled rhinophores and grooves along the edges of the oral veil, this is clearly a pleurobranch. Although very white, I would assume that it is Berthella ocellata. Hopefully a local expert can confirm that for us.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Oct 21). Comment on Berthella ocellata from Mediterranean France by Francis Bronnec. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15066

Berthella ocellata from France

August 10, 2003
From: Jean-Pierre Bielecki

Hi Bill
Here is a Berthella ocellata found during night dive the 17 July 2003, 17m deep. Cap d'Antibes- France
Best wishes
Jean-Pierre Bielecki

bielecki.jeanpierre@free.fr

Bielecki, J-P., 2003 (Aug 10) Berthella ocellata from France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10535

Thanks Jean-Pierre,
It seems in larger animals the white rings, which give the species its name, become less obvious
Bill Rudman

Berthella ocellata from French Mediterranean

July 17, 2002
From: Marina Poddubetskaia


Dear Bill,
Could you confirm, please, the ID of this Berthella ocellata found under a stone during the 'Sea Slugs Training Course' in Cerbere.

Date: July 05, 2002
Location : Cerbere, France
Site: Les Chambres
Depth: 8m
Size: about 5cm

Best wishes,
Marina.

nembro@nembro.info

Poddubetskaia, M., 2002 (Jul 17) Berthella ocellata from French Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7476

Dear Marina,
Yes this is Berthella ocellata. The opaque white rings which are a characteristic part of its colour pattern are only faintly visible around the edge of the translucent clear spots.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jul 17). Comment on Berthella ocellata from French Mediterranean by Marina Poddubetskaia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7476

Berthella ocellata from Mediterranean

September 23, 1999
From: Erwin Koehler

Bill,
Again a photo taken by Wolfgang Seifarth this summer in Italy, depth 15m. Is it Berthella ocellata  (delle Chiaje, 1830)?

Erwin

Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de

Koehler, E., 1999 (Sep 23) Berthella ocellata from Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1358

Dear Erwin,
I have never seen this species alive or in photographs, but from published accounts I am pretty sure your identification is correct. After the variability of Berthella stellata, it's nice to see a Berthella with a distinctive colour pattern.

Any chance of a few more locality details and size perhaps?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.