Doto paulinae
Trinchese, 1881

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DENDRONOTINA
Family: Dotidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from the northwestern Mediterranean

PHOTO

Upper: Locality: 'La digue', Port-Leucate , 2m, France, Mediterranean, 12 April 2006. Length: animal : 8mm / eggs : 2mm. Photographer: Marina Poddubetskaia Ossokine. Lower: Original illustration of Doto paulinae from Trinchese, 1881: Plate 58.

The body is translucent with dark brown markings and with yellowish cream colour of the internal organs showing through. In large animals there are 6 pairs of cerata, but often some are missing or in the process of regrowth. The cerata have three rows of tubercles, those on the inside of each ceras being very insignificant. There is no gill [pseudobranch] on the inside of the cerata.

There is a broad brown band down the dorsal midline, between the cerata, which extends forward to the front of the head. On the cerata, there is a rounded brown spot on each tubercle except for the terminal one which is white. When the tubercles on the inside of a ceras are absent, so is the associated brown spot. There is a brown spot at the inside base of each ceras, and in some animals this extends up the inside face of the ceras as a band. This species grows to approximately 10 mm in length.

It is reported bySchmekel & Kress (1977)to feed on Obelia geniculata but is reported by Marina Poddubetskaia Ossokine [message #16426] on Aglaophenia sp.

• Schmekel, L. & Kress, A. (1977). Die Gattung Doto (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) im Mittelmeer und Armelicanal, mit Beschreibung von Doto acuta, n. sp. Malacologia, 16(2): 467-499.
• Schmekel, L. & Portmann, A (1982) Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres, Nudibranchia und Saccoglossa. Fauna e Flora del Golfo Napoli, 40: 1-410. Springer-Verlag: Berlin
• Trinchese, S (1877-79): Aeolididae e famiglie affini del Porto di Genova. Part 1. Anatomia, Fisiologia, Embriologia delle Phyllobranchidae, Hermaeidae, Aeolididae, Proctonotidae, Dotonidae del Porto di Genova. Atlas. Atti della R. Universita di Genova, 2, Pls 1-35.
• Trinchese, S (1881): Aeolididae e famiglie affini del Porto di Genova. Part 2. Anatomia, Fisiologia, Embriologia delle Phyllobranchidae, Hermaeidae, Aeolididae, Proctonotidae, Dotonidae del Porto di Genova. Memorie della Classe di scienze fisiche, matematiche e naturali, serie 3 11(4 January), 1-142, Pls 1-80.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2006 (May 3) Doto paulinae Trinchese, 1881. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/dotopaul

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