Home Guide to Opisthobranchs Nudibranchia Doridina Doridoidei Doridoidea Baptodoris cinnabarina

Baptodoris cinnabarina

Baptodoris cinnabarina (Bergh, 1884)

Baptodoris cinnabarina @ Split, Croatia by Pero Ugarković

Taxonomy
 

Superdomain

Biota  

 

Kingdom

Animalia  

 

Phylum

Mollusca  

 

Class

Gastropoda  

 

Subclass

Heterobranchia  

 

Infraclass

Euthyneura  

 

Subterclass

Ringipleura  

 

Superorder

Nudipleura  

 

Order

Nudibranchia  

 

Suborder

Doridina  

 

Infraorder

Doridoidei  

 

Superfamily

Doridoidea  

 

Family

Discodorididae  

 

Genus

Baptodoris  

 

Species

Baptodoris cinnabarina  Bergh, 1884

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 140788).
Synonyms

  • Platydoris maculata Bouchet, 1977

Description
The specimens of this species can reach about 35 mm in length. Animals are very flat and with a quite leathery consistency due to the abundant spiculation of the mantle, foot and body side walls. Coloration is grayish or yellowish brown, depending on the size of the animal. On the back there are somewhat darker scattered spots. The edge of the mantle may have white and brown spots. The mantle is covered with small tubercules not apparent to the naked eye; they are rounded at the tip and at high magnification they can be determined to be of cariophilidean type, each having 4-5 ring shaped slight protruding spicules. The rhinophores are yellow in the basal area and in the upper there are about 16 brown pigmented lamellae. The rhinophoric sheath has a tuberculate edge. The gill consists of 6 white branchial leaves with the upper third pigmented brown. The anal papilla is translucid and located between the gill leaves. The branchial sheath has an slightly tuberculate edge. The foot is narrow and colored whitish. The mouth has two small white labial palps.

Biology
This is a little known species, with very few specimens observed or collected since its original description in 1884 by Bergh. Most of the samples cited were collected on circalittoral and infralittoral rocky bottoms or sandy-muddy bottoms with loose stones and sponges, between 60 and 136 m depth. It has been suggested that the live animal is very sedentary and with very slow movements. The original Bergh description of the species indicates that the spawn is a yellowish-pink ribbon of 1.5 cm in diameter. Nothing else is known about its biology.

Etymology

  • Baptodoris. Del griego “baptos” que significa “sumergido” + “Doris” en la mitología griega, mujer de Nereo, ninfa de las aguas y madre de las Nereidas.
  • Cinnabarina. Del color del cinabrio o bermellón (Sulfuro de Mercurio, HgS, mineral del que se extrae el mercurio), de un color rojo oscuro.

Distribution
Most cites for this species are in Mediterranean waters, such as the coast of Haifa, Trieste, Gulf of Naples and Gulf of Taranto in Italy. There is a cite of this species (named as Platydoris maculata, considered to be a synonymous of B. cinnabarina) in bathyal bottoms from the Cantabrian coast. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been found in the Strait of Gibraltar and on the continental shelf of the Columbretes islands and of Formentera island. First reports from the Catalan coast refer to specimens trapped in commercial fishing trawl at the Planassa, in front of the city of Blanes, although it has been occasionally found afterwards.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Baptodoris cinnabarina
Sources:
: OBIS
: GROC 2010-2011
: Enric Madrenas
: João Pedro Silva
: Bernard Picton
: GBIF.ORG		 : OPK
: VIMAR
: Manuel Ballesteros.
: M@re Nostrum
: Altres fonts
: Marine Regions

Abundance

    Western Mediterranean: ★☆☆☆☆
    Eastern Mediterranean: ★☆☆☆☆
    Atlantic Ocean: ☆☆☆☆☆
Month

This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Baptodoris cinnabarina based on our own records.

More pictures

Baptodoris cinnabarina by Manuel Ballesteros
Baptodoris cinnabarina by Manuel Ballesteros
Baptodoris cinnabarinna by Enric Madrenas
Baptodoris cinnabarinna by Enric Madrenas
Baptodoris cinnabarinna by Enric Madrenas
Baptodoris cinnabarinna by Enric Madrenas
Baptodoris cinnabarinna by Enric Madrenas
Baptodoris cinnabarinna by Enric Madrenas

Bibliography

    Ballesteros M. 2007. Lista actualizada de los opistobranquios (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) de las costas catalanas. Spira. 2(3):163–188.
    Ballesteros M, Valdés A. 1999. Redescription de Baptodoris cinnabarina Bergh, 1884 (Opisthobranchia, Doridina, Platydorididae) y discusión taxonómica de otras especies del género Baptodoris Bergh, 1884. Iberus 17 (2): 27-35.
    Ballesteros M, Madrenas E, Pontes M. 2016. Actualización del catálogo de los moluscos opistobranquios (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) de las costas catalanas. Spira. 6:1–28.
    Ballesteros M, Pontes M, Madrenas E. 2019. Els nudibranquis del mar català. Figueres: Brau Edicions. 192 p.
    Ballesteros M, Madrenas E, Pontes M. 2025. OPK - Opistobranquis. Available from https://opistobranquis.info/.
    Barash A, Danin Z. 1992. Annotated list of Mediterranean molluscs of Israel and Sinai, viii. Fauna Palaestina, Mollusca I. Israel Academy of Sciences &  Humanities.
    Barash A, Danin Z. 1982. Mediterranean Mollusca of Israel and Sinai: composition and distribution. Israel Journal of Zoology, 31, 86-118.
    Bedulli D, Cattaneo-Vietti R, Chemello R, et al. 1995. Gastropoda Opisthobranchia, Divasibranchia, Gymnomorpha, Fascicolo 15, pp. 1-23.  In: A. Minelli, A. Ruffo, & S. La Posta (Eds.). Checklist delle specie fauna italiana. Bologna: Calderini (Checklist delle specie della Fauna Italiana).
    Bergh LSR. 1891. Die cryptobranchiaten Dorididen. Zoologische Jahrbucher, Abtheilung fur Systematik Geographie und Biologie der Thiere 6(1):103-144.
    Bergh LSR. 1884. Report on the Nudibranchiata collected by HMS Challenger during the years 1873-1876. Zoology 10 (part 26): 1-154, pl. 1-14.
    Bergh LSR. 1888. Malacologische Untersuchungen, In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 2, Theil 3, Heft 16, 1 Halfte; pp 755-814, pls. 77-81.
    Bergh LSR. 1884. Malacologische Untersuchungen, In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Vol. 2, Part. 3, Num. 15, pp 647–754, pls. G, H, J-L.
    Bergh LSR. 1908. Malacologische Untersuchungen, In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil. Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 9, Theil 6, Heft 3; pp 119-181, pls. 9-12.
    Bergh R. 1892. System der Nudibranchiaten Gasteropoden. Malacologische Untersuchungen. In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr. Carl Gottfried Semper. Zweiter Theil#Wissenschaftliche Resultate. Band 7, Theil 5. [pp. 1–51, pls 1–4, Mar. 1897; pp. 53–115, pls 5–8, Dec. 1897; pp. 117–158, pls 9–12, Nov. 1898; pp. 159–208, pls 13–16, 27 Mar. 1900; pp. 209–256, pls 17–20, 29 Jan. 1901; pp. 257–312, pls. 21–24, 15 Oct. 1901; pp. 313–382, pls 25–29, 7 Oct. 1902].
    Bouchet P. 1977. Opisthobranches de profondeur de l’Ocean Atlantique. II Notaspidea et Nudibranchiata. Journal of Molluscan Studies 43 (1): 28-60.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R, Barletta G. 1984. Elenco preliminare dei molluschi opistobranchi viventi nel Mediterraneo (Sacoglossa, Pleurobranchomorpha, Acochlidiacea, Aplysiomorpha, Nudibranchia). Bollettino Malacologico (Pubblicazione Mensile Edita dalla Societa Italiana di Malacologia) 20(9-12):195-218.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R, Thompson TE. 1989. Mediterranean opisthobranch molluscs: a zoogeographic approach. Bollettino Malacologico (Pubblicazione Mensile Edita dalla Societa Italiana di Malacologia) 25(5-8):183-204.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R, Chemello R, Giannuzzi-Savelli R. 1990. Atlas of Mediterranean Nudibranchs. Rome, Italy: La Conchiglia. 264 p.
    Cervera JL, Calado G, Gavaia C, et al. 2004. An annotated and updated checklist of the opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Spain and Portugal (including islands and archipelagos). Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 20 (1-4): 1-111. L.
    Domènech A, Ávila C, Ballesteros M. 2006. Opisthobranch molluscs from the subtidal trawling grounds off Blanes (Girona, north-east Spain). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of U.K. 86:383–389.
    Dorgan KM, Valdés A, Gosliner TM. 2002. Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Platydoris (Mollusca, Doridoidea) with descriptions of six new species. Zoologica Scripta 31: 271-319.
    Eliot CNE. 1910. A monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca: with figures of the species; Figures by the late Joshua Alder and the late Albany Hancock, and others. Ray Society, London.
    Fischer MA. 2006. Opisthobranchs from the Chilean coast, a taxonomic, morphological and  histological study of nudibranch species. 173 p.
    Furfaro G, Vitale F, Licchelli C, et al. 2020. Two Seas for One Great Diversity: Checklist of the Marine Heterobranchia (Mollusca; Gastropoda) from the Salento Peninsula (South-East Italy). Diversity. 12(12):171.
    Garcia FJ, Bertsch H. 2009. Diversity and distribution of the Gastropoda Opisthobranchia from the Atlantic Ocean: A global biogeographic approach. Scientia Marina. 73(1):153–160. https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2009.73n1153.
    Long SJ. 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000. Bayside Books & Press, Tustin, CA, U.S.A. 672p.
    McDonald G. 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia. 2nd Online Edition, Annotated. 1072 pp  Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz. Available from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8115h0wz.
    Nordsieck F. 1972. Die europäischen Meeresschnecken : (Opisthobranchia mit Pyramidellidae, Rissoacea) : vom Eismeer bis Kapverdem, Mittelmeer und Schawarzes Meer. Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer. XIII, 327 p. p.
    Ortea J, Moro L, Bacallado JJ. 2006. Ubicación de Baptodoris  perezi Llera & Ortea, 1982 en el género Gargamella Bergh, 1894 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Vieraea,  Folia Scientiarum Biologicarum Canariensium 34:55-58.
    Ortea JA, Pérez-Sánchez JM, Llera González EM. 1982. Moluscos Opistobranquios recolectados durante el Plan de Bentos Circuncanario. Doridacea: primera parte (1). Cuadernos del CRINAS. 3:1–48.
    Perrone AS. 1985. Il genere Baptodoris in Mediterraneo: contributo alla conoscenza di Baptodoris cinnabarina Bergh, 1884 (Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia). Bollettino Malacologico 21(7-9):205-216, 19 figs.
    Prkić J, Petani A, Iglić Ð, et al. 2018. Stražnjoškržnjaci Jadranskoga Mora: Slikovni Atlas i Popis Hrvatskih Vrsta / Opisthobranchs of the Adriatic Sea: Photographic Atlas and List of Croatian Species. Bibinje: Ronilaćki Klub Sveti Roko. 464 p. Available from https://opistobranquis.info/en/recursos/llibres-recomanats/opisthobranchs-of-the-adriatic-sea/.
    Pruvot-Fol A. 1954. Mollusques opisthobranches. Paris, France: Paul Lechevalier (Faune de France). 460 p.
    Pruvot-Fol A. 1951. Études des nudibranches de la Méditerranée. Archives de Zoologie Expérimentale et Générale. 88:1–80.
    Ramírez-Llodra E, Ballesteros M, Company JB, et al. 2008. Spatio-temporal variations of biomass and abundance in bathyal non-crustacean megafauna in the Catalan Sea (North-western Mediterranean). Mar. Biol., 153: 297-309.
    Sabelli B, Gianuzzi-Savelli R, Bedulli D. 1990. Catalogo annotato dei Molluschi marini del Mediterraneo. Libreria Naturalistica Bolognese. Bologna, Italy: 348 pp.
    Sánchez-Tocino L. 2018. El Litoral de Granada - Opistobranquios. El Litoral de Granada. Available from https://litoraldegranada.ugr.es/el-litoral/el-litoral-sumergido/fauna/moluscos/gasteropodos/opistobranquios/.
    Schmekel L. 1968. Ascoglossa, Notaspidea und Nudibranchia im Litoral des Golfes von Neapel. Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 75(6):103–155.
    Schmekel L, Portmann A. 1982. Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres, Nudibranchia und Saccoglossa. Fauna e Flora del Golfo Napoli. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 410 p.
    Schrödl M. 2003. Sea slugs of Southern South America. Hackenheim: ConchBooks. 165 pp.
    Templado J, Villanueva R. 2010. Checklist of Phylum Mollusca. pp. 148-198 In Coll, M., et al., 2010. The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: estimates, patterns, and threats. PLoS ONE 5(8):36pp.
    Thiele J. 1931. Handbuch der systematischen Weichtierkunde 1. Jena (Fischer): i-vi, 1-778, 783 figs.
    Thiele J, Bieler R, Mikkelsen PM. 1992. Handbook of systematic malacology. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Libraries : National Science Foundation.
    Trainito E. 2005. Nudibranchi del Mediterraneo : guida al riconoscimento dei molluschi opistobranchi. Trezzano sul Naviglio (Milano): Il Castello.
    Trainito E, Doneddu M. 2014. Nudibranchi del Mediterraneo. 2nd. Il Castello. 192 p.
    Trainito E, Trainito S. 2003. Mediterranean harlequins : a field guide to Mediterranean sea slugs. Olbia (SS), Italia: Taphros.
    Valdés Á. 2001. Deep-sea cryptobranch dorid nudibranchs (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) from the tropical West Pacific, with descriptions of two new genera and eighteen new species. Malacologia 43 (1-2) : 237-311.
    Valdés Á, Gosliner TM. 2001. Systematics and phylogeny of the caryophyllidia-bearing dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia), with the description of a new genus and four new species from Indo-Pacific deep waters. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 133(2): 103-198.
    Vayssiere AJBM. 1913. Mollusques de la France et des regions voisines, tome premier, amphineures, gasteropodes opisthobranches, heteropodes, marseniades et oncidiides. Encyclopedie Scientifique, publiee sous la direction du Dr Toulouse, Bibliotheque de Zoologie Doin, Paris; pp 1-420, I-XII, pls. 1-37.
    WoRMS Editorial Board. 2025. World Register of Marine Species. WoRMS. Available from http://www.marinespecies.org.

    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

Cite this article as:

Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2012-2025) "Baptodoris cinnabarina" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 16/05/2012. Accessed: 03/02/2025. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=484)