Doto maculata (Montagu, 1804)
WoRMS Taxonomic Information
Current classification
| Superdomain | Biota |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Subclass | Heterobranchia |
| Infraclass | Euthyneura |
| Subterclass | Ringipleura |
| Superorder | Nudipleura |
| Order | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder | Cladobranchia |
| Superfamily | Dendronotoidea |
| Family | Dotidae |
| Genus | Doto |
| Species | Doto maculata (Montagu, 1804) |
- Doris maculata Montagu, 1804 (original)
Description
Translucent white or cream coloured body with small dark red or reddish brown spots. Rhinophores with whitish scores. High rhinophoric sheaths, with the front part open and slightly scalloped that, on the inside, may have red or reddish brown spots like those on the back. Dorsum with 4-5 pairs of cerata coloured as the body. Cerata with 3-4 rounded tubercle circles with a reddish-brown round point at the end; the apical tubercle is elongated and may not be punctuated round spot at the end. Cream-colored internal digestive gland. Rudimentary pseudobranchs.
Biology
On the British coast it feeds exclusively on the hydroid Halopteris catharina, that grows in dense patches on rocks in the infralittoral zone. Egg spawn is deposited at the base of the hydroid colony where the animal lives.
Etymology
- Doto. From Latin “Doto”, from “Dōtō”, a sea nymph in Greek mythology.
- Maculata. Derived from Latín “macula”, spotted, stained.
Distribution
Present in the Atlantic from Norway to the northern coast of Spain. The only Mediterranean report from Palamós (Ballesteros et al., 2019: p.179) is most probably another species.
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Similar species
Doto coronata. Doto eireana. They have a dark reddish spot at the tips of the terminal ceratal tubercles (which D. maculata does not have) and a reddish colouration inside the base of the cerata and the rhinophoric sheaths.
Abundance
| Western Mediterranean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Eastern Mediterranean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Atlantic Ocean: | ★★☆☆☆ |
This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Doto maculata based on our own records.
More pictures
- We have no (more) pictures for Doto maculata
Bibliography
Further reading
Cite this article as:
Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2025) "Doto maculata" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 21/05/2014. Accessed: 03/09/2026. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=12033)
