Doto koenneckeri

Doto koenneckeri (Lemche, 1976)

Doto koenneckeri by Bernard Picton

Description
This species usually reaches 5 mm in length. The body color is yellowish but the back and sides are almost evenly pigmented brown; usually the only depigmented zones are the foot and a line that runs along the bases of the cerata. Cephalic veil is well developed. The rhinophoric sheath is not very high, it has a smooth upper edge and has several brown spots on the inner face, there are also white granulations at the upper edge of the sheath and in the front and the back surfaces of the rhinophores. In front of each rhinophore there is a marked pre-rhinophoric keel. There are up to 7 yellowish cerata on each side of the body, the most developed ones have up to four circles of well developed tubercles (with five tubercles in the top row) and pointing outwards; the apical tubercle is long and narrow. At the tip of each tubercle there is a “comma” shaped brown stain, except in the apical tubercle which is a rounded brown stain; tubercles can also have other small brown scores and whitish granulations. The pseudobranchia is poorly developed and it is reduced to 1-2 depigmented rounded projections on the inner base of the cerata. The anal papilla is located between the first and second right cerata, it is cylindrical and its inner part is strongly pigmented white. The genital papilla is not pigmented and is located below the first right cerata.

Biology
This species, like others of the same genus, is closely associated with pennate hydrozoans of the genus Aglaophenia (A. kirkenpaueri, A. pluma, A. tubiformis) or Lytocarpia (L. myriophyllum). On these hydrozoans D.koenneckeri keeps a perfect mimicry, so it is very difficult to observe to the naked eye. The existence of individuals in the colonies can be guessed by observing egg spawns on them, because they are coloured white and form a undulated ribbon with 4-5 turns. The length of the spawn is about 3 mm and the size of the eggs is about 60-70 microns in diameter.

Etymology

• Doto, from Latin Doto, a sea nymph, from Greek Dōtō
• Koenneckeri, in honor to Gerd Koennecker, diving biologist at Galway University

Distribution
This is an European species of recent description (Lemche, 1976). It nevertheless has been cited in several coastal areas of northern Europe (Norway, UK, Ireland), the Açores, the city of Ceuta and in the Mediterranean. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been observed on the Cantabrian coast, in Galicia, on the Portuguese coast, the Levantine coast and in Catalonia. The locations of the Catalan coast where it has been reported are Cadaqués, Roses, L’Escala, Tossa de Mar, Lloret de Mar and Cubelles among others.

Similar species
Doto dunnei, very similar body colour, without brown bands. With rounded and less developed ceratal tubercles.

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Bibliography

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Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.

Further reading

• AsturNatura
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• CIB - Club Immersio Biologia
• El Litoral de Granada
• Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland
• European Sea Slugs by Morddyn
• Flickr pictures
• GROC
• Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
• M@re Nostrum
• NCBI GenBank
• OBIS - Search by Taxon
• Sea Slug Forum
• The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• World Register of Marine Species

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