Baptodoris cinnabarina

Baptodoris cinnabarina (Bergh, 1884)

• 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:	☆☆☆☆☆