Doto from New Zealand

December 16, 2001
From: Gareth Jones

Dear Dr. Rudman,
Here is another little nudibranch I found at the Poor Knights [NE New Zealand] on the 9 December 2001, at around 5m deep. It was a very small 2-3mm. Any help with ID appreciated as always.
Cheers
Gareth Jones

rees@divenz.co.nz

Jones, G., 2001 (Dec 16) Doto from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5822

Dear Gareth,
This is a species of Doto a group which are not that common in New Zealand and so have not been well studied. Two species have been reported from New Zealand. One of these is apparently a cosmopolitan species, Doto pita and the other has been likened to Doto bella Baba, 1938. However, D. bella, which was described from Japan, is said to have a black patch midway along each rhinophore, whereas your animal has completely black rhinophores, except for a white tip. Your animal is very similar to what is called Doto bella in Suzuki, 2000 from Japan, and Doto racemosa in Marshall & Willan 1999 from Heron Island, but as I mentioned above D. bella has a small black patch midway along the rhinophore, rather than being all black, and no black is described by Risbec for D. racemosa.

I can't be sure what species you have here but the black rhinophores are very distinctive.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Dec 16). Comment on Doto from New Zealand by Gareth Jones. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5822

Factsheet

Unidentified - Australia and New Zealand

Related messages

  1. Unidentified chromodorid? from northern New Zealand
    From: Debbie Freeman, October 15, 2008
  2. Re: Dendrodoris fumata? from Western Australia
    From: Bruce Potter, August 22, 2007
  3. Unknown Thordisa? - from Fremantle, West Australia
    From: Brent Murdoch, August 11, 2007
  4. Doriopsilla carneola ? from Western Australia
    From: Bruce Potter, August 11, 2007
  5. Mystery from southern Queensland
    From: Bruce Wilkie, November 21, 2006
  6. Tiny Fiordland Aeolid
    From: Ian Skipworth, May 17, 2006
  7. Unknown Aeolid from Kermadec Ids
    From: Ian Skipworth, May 9, 2006
  8. Re: Unknown dorid from Western Australia
    From: Mick Tait, April 14, 2006
  9. Unknown dorid from Western Australia
    From: Mick Tait, April 12, 2006
  10. Unknown chromodorid from Ningaloo Reef
    From: Kristin Anderson, February 9, 2006
  11. Aeolid from Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia
    From: Sue Newson, September 10, 2005
  12. Unknown dorid from New Zealand
    From: Ian Skipworth, June 1, 2005
  13. Nudibranch from New Zealand
    From: Mereana Pou, June 1, 2002
  14. Unknown aeolid from New Zealand
    From: Gareth Jones, November 14, 2001
  15. Gastropterid from southeastern Australia
    From: John Chuk, December 26, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages