Doris bertheloti (d’Orbigny, 1839)
WoRMS Taxonomic Information
Current classification
| Superdomain | Biota |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Subclass | Heterobranchia |
| Infraclass | Euthyneura |
| Subterclass | Ringipleura |
| Superorder | Nudipleura |
| Order | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder | Doridida |
| Infraorder | Doridoidei |
| Superfamily | Doridoidea |
| Family | Dorididae |
| Genus | Doris |
| Species | Doris bertheloti A. d'Orbigny, 1839 |
- Doridigitata bertheloti d’Orbigny, 1839
Description
The specimens of this species can reach nearly 40 mm in length. The color is usually brown or greenish gray with some darker spots that sometimes form two longitudinal lines running from the area of the rhinophores to the gill plume. All the back of the animal is covered with several rounded tubercles of different sizes, the largest being on the center of the back, often forming ridges of aligned tubercles. Bigger tubercles are usually flanked by smaller and radially aligned tubercles, connected by smaller sized ridges. The rhinophores have a semitransparent base portion while the laminated part is yellowish or brown with numerous lamellae (30 in 20 mm specimens). The rhinophoric sheath is high and tuberculated, and its upper edge also has a pair of thick tubercles. Gill is formed by 6-7 tripinnate leaves coloured slightly lighter than the body. Gill sheath is also tuberculated along its entire surface and upper edge. The foot is light coloured and has small dark marks. The mouth has two short and stubby conical oral tentacles.
Biology
This species usually lives under rocks from the intertidal zone to the upper subtidal, where grow the encrusting sponges it feeds on. The animals, both alive and preserved, often have a rough, hard texture. The spawn consists of an undulating ribbon of about 3 mm in height, wound in a two turns spiral and about 20 mm in diameter. The eggs are white, measuring about 150 microns in diameter and are placed in vertical rows (Ortea & Bacallado, 1980).
Etymology
- Doris. In Greek mythology, wife of Nereus, nymph of the waters and mother of the Nereids.
- Bertheloti. Dedicated to Sabin Berthelot (1794-1880), a French naturalyst who enrolled the Navy and participated in the Napoleonic wars. He lived part of his life at the Canary islands, in his post as French consul in Tenerife. The abbreviation “Berth” is used to indicate Sabin Berthelot as an authority in the scientific botanical description and classification. He wrote the “Historia Natural de Canarias” and directed the Botanical Garden of Puerto de la Cruz.
Distribution
This species is little known because it has been only registered so far in the Canary Islands, in Madeira and in few locations of the Mediterranean (Italian coast). In the Iberian Peninsula it has been reported in the coast of Granada and has recently been observed in the Catalan Costa Brava (Es Caials, L’Escala, Cala Aiguafreda, Sant Feliu de Guixols and Blanes) (VIMAR, GROC).
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Abundance
| Western Mediterranean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Eastern Mediterranean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Atlantic Ocean: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Doris bertheloti based on our own records.
More pictures
Bibliography
Further reading
Cite this article as:
Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2025) "Doris bertheloti" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 12/09/2014. Accessed: 03/09/2026. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=14310)
