Doridacean nudibranchs are characterized by having a more or less dorsoventrally flattened body, by the presence of large mantle that may have embedded spicules and may also have different projections (tubers, papillae) and the existence of a dorsal branchial plume formed by several branchial leaves surrounding the anus. Rhinophores are found in the anterior region of the notum, provided with lamellae and retractile (cryptobranch doridaceans) or just contractile (fanerobranch doridaceans).
Felimare picta by Enric Madrenas
The doridaceans are carnivorous and feed primarily on sponges and bryozoans. They feed by using their radula, that can have some to many teeth on each row, but the species of the family Dendrodorididae lack any radula at all, and feed by sucking food with their suctorial type buccal bulb. Many doridacean species have external parasites of the Copepod Crustaceans group, often of the Splanchnotrophidae family, moving primarily around the gill leaves. Doridaceans have the most powerful defense mechanisms within the nudibranchs. Many species of several families present some mantle glands called MDF (for “Mantle Dermal Formations”) where they accumulate several secondary metabolites that have a large antidepredant effect when they are expelled to the outside, which happens easily when the animal is disturbed. These powerful defensive substances have allowed these nudibranchs to acquire flashy colorations in the course of evolution, called warning (or aposematic) colorations, to prevent attacks by their possible predators.
Classification
The updated doridaceans taxonomy proposed by Bouchet et al. (2017) and accepted at WoRMS is as follows:
Doridoidei
- Chromodoridoidea Bergh, 1891
- Actinocyclidae O’Donoghue, 1929
- Actinocyclus Ehrenberg, 1831
- Hallaxa Eliot, 1909
- Cadlinellidae Odhner, 1934
- Cadlinella Thiele, 1931
- Cadlinidae Bergh, 1891
- Aldisa Bergh, 1878
- Cadlina Bergh, 1879
- Inuda Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967
- Chromodorididae Bergh, 1891
- Chromodoridinae Bergh, 1891
- Ardeadoris Rudman, 1984
- Chromodoris Alder & Hancock, 1855
- Chromolaichma Bertsch, 1977
- Diversidoris Rudman, 1987
- Doriprismatica A. d’Orbigny, 1839
- Felimida Ev. Marcus, 1971
- Glossodoris Ehrenberg, 1831
- Goniobranchus Pease, 1866
- Tyrinna Bergh, 1898
- Verconia Pruvot-Fol, 1931
- Miamirinae Bergh, 1891
- Ceratosoma Gray, 1850
- Felimare Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967
- Hypselodoris W. Stimpson, 1855
- Mexichromis Bertsch, 1977
- Miamira Bergh, 1874
- Thorunna Bergh, 1878
- Chromodoridinae Bergh, 1891
- Hexabranchidae Bergh, 1891
- Hexabranchus Ehrenberg, 1828
- Showajidaiidae Korshunova, Fletcher, Picton, Lundin, Kashio, N. Sanamyan, K. Sanamyan, Padula, Schrödl & Martynov, 2020
- Showajidaia Korshunova, Fletcher, Picton, Lundin, Kashio, N. Sanamyan, K. Sanamyan, Padula, Schrödl & Martynov, 2020
- Actinocyclidae O’Donoghue, 1929
- Doridoidea Rafinesque, 1815
- Discodorididae Bergh, 1891
- Alloiodoris Bergh, 1904
- Aphelodoris Bergh, 1879
- Aporodoris Ihering, 1886
- Asteronotus Ehrenberg, 1831
- Atagema Gray, 1850
- Avaldesia Donohoo & Gosliner, 2024
- Baptodoris Bergh, 1884
- Carminodoris Bergh, 1889
- Diaulula Bergh, 1878
- Dictyodoris Bergh, 1880
- Discodoris Bergh, 1877
- Gargamella Bergh, 1894
- Geitodoris Bergh, 1891
- Halgerda Bergh, 1880
- Hiatodoris Dayrat, 2010
- Hoplodoris Bergh, 1880
- Jorunna Bergh, 1876
- Nirva Bergh, 1905
- Nophodoris Á. Valdés & Gosliner, 2001
- Otinodoris K. M. White, 1948
- Paradoris Bergh, 1884
- Peltodoris Bergh, 1880
- Peronodoris Bergh, 1904
- Platydoris Bergh, 1877
- Rostanga Bergh, 1879
- Sclerodoris Eliot, 1904
- Sebadoris Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1960
- Taringa Er. Marcus, 1955
- Tayuva Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967
- Thordisa Bergh, 1877
- Thorybopus Bouchet, 1977
- Dorididae Rafinesque, 1815
- Archidoris Bergh, 1878
- Artachaea Bergh, 1881
- Austrodoris Odhner, 1926
- Conualevia Collier & Farmer, 1964
- Doriopsis Pease, 1860
- Doris Linnaeus, 1758
- Goslineria Á. Valdés, 2001
- Pharodoris Á. Valdés, 2001
- Discodorididae Bergh, 1891
- Onchidoridoidea Gray, 1827
- Acanthodorididae P. Fischer, 1883
- Acanthodoris J. E. Gray, 1850
- Acanthomiridae Martynov & Korshunova, 2025
- Aegiridae P. Fischer, 1883
- Aegires Lovén, 1844
- Notodoris Bergh, 1875
- Akiodorididae Millen & Martynov, 2005
- Akiodoris Bergh, 1879
- Armodoris Minichev, 1972
- Doridunculus G. O. Sars, 1878
- Echinocorambe Á. Valdés & Bouchet, 1998
- Prodoridunculus Thiele, 1912
- Calycidorididae Roginskaya, 1972
- Calycidoris Abraham, 1876
- Diaphorodoris Iredale & O’Donoghue, 1923
- Corambidae Bergh, 1871
- Corambe Bergh, 1869
- Loy Martynov, 1994
- Goniodorididae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854
- Anculinae Pruvot-Fol, 1954
- Ancula Lovén, 1846
- Trapania Pruvot-Fol, 1931
- Goniodoridinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854
- Bermudella Odhner, 1941
- Cargoa Vogel & L. P. Schultz, 1970
- Ceratodoris J. E. Gray, 1850
- Goniodoridella Pruvot-Fol, 1933
- Lophodoris G. O. Sars, 1878
- Murphydoris Sigurdsson, 1991
- Naisdoris Paz-Sedano, Moles, Smirnoff, Gosliner & Pola, 2024
- Okenia Menke, 1830
- Pelagella J. E. Gray, 1850
- Spahria Risbec, 1928
- Anculinae Pruvot-Fol, 1954
- Onchidorididae J. E. Gray, 1827
- Acanthomira Ekimova, Nikitenko, Stanovova, Schepetov, Antokhina & Á. Valdés, 2024
- Adalaria Bergh, 1878
- Arctadalaria Roginskaya, 1971
- Atalodoris Iredale & O’Donoghue, 1923
- Idaliadoris Furfaro & Trainito, 2022
- Onchidoris Blainville, 1816
- Onchimira Martynov, Korshunova, N. Sanamyan & K. Sanamyan, 2009
- Acanthodorididae P. Fischer, 1883
- Phyllidioidea Rafinesque, 1814
- Dendrodorididae O’Donoghue, 1924 (1864)
- Dendrodoris Ehrenberg, 1831
- Doriopsilla Bergh, 1880
- Forjacellidae Ortea & Moro, 2023
- Forjacella Ortea & Moro, 2023
- Mandeliidae Á. Valdés & Gosliner, 1999
- Mandelia Á. Valdés & Gosliner, 1999
- Phyllidiidae Rafinesque, 1814
- Ceratophyllidia Eliot, 1903
- Phyllidia Cuvier, 1797
- Phyllidiella Bergh, 1869
- Phyllidiopsis Bergh, 1876
- Reticulidia Brunckhorst, 1990
- Dendrodorididae O’Donoghue, 1924 (1864)
- Polyceroidea Alder & Hancock, 1845
- Polyceridae Alder & Hancock, 1845
- Kalinginae Pruvot-Fol, 1956
- Kalinga Alder & Hancock, 1864
- Kankelibranchinae Ortea, Espinosa & Caballer, 2005
- Kankelibranchus Ortea, Espinosa & Caballer, 2005
- Nembrothinae Burn, 1967
- Martadoris Willan & Y.-W. Chang, 2017
- Nembrotha Bergh, 1877
- Roboastra Bergh, 1877
- Tambja Burn, 1962
- Tyrannodoris Willan & Y.-W. Chang, 2017
- Okadaiinae Baba, 1930
- Vayssierea Risbec, 1928
- Polycerinae Alder & Hancock, 1845
- Gymnodoris W. Stimpson, 1855
- Lamellana G.-Y. Lin, 1992
- Lecithophorus Macnae, 1958
- Palio Gray, 1857
- Paliolla Burn, 1958
- Paliota Pola, Miguel-González & Paz-Sedano, 2023
- Polycera Cuvier, 1816
- Polycerella A. E. Verrill, 1880
- Thecacera J. Fleming, 1828
- Triophinae Odhner, 1941
- Colga Bergh, 1880
- Crimora Alder & Hancock, 1862
- Holoplocamus Odhner, 1926
- Joubiniopsis Risbec, 1928
- Kaloplocamus Bergh, 1880
- Limacia O. F. Müller, 1781
- Plocamopherus Rüppell & Leuckart, 1828
- Triopha Bergh, 1880
- Kalinginae Pruvot-Fol, 1956
- Polyceridae Alder & Hancock, 1845
Doridacean groups recorded in the Mediterranean or around the Iberian Peninsula:
Bibliography
