Peltodoris punctifera

Peltodoris punctifera (Abraham, 1877)

Peltodoris punctifera @ Gran Canaria by Mario Matute

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	Peltodoris
	Species	Peltodoris punctifera (Abraham, 1877)

	Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017) Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 139571).

Synonyms

“Montereina” punctifera (Abraham, 1877)
Doris orbignyi H. Adams & A. Adams, 1858
Doris punctata d’Orbigny, 1839
Doris punctifera Abraham, 1877

Description
The maximum recorded size for this species is 25mm long. When the animal is extended, the foot does not exceed the rear limit of the mantle. Body base color is usually yellowish, pinkish or gray, with a fine stippling of dark (purple-brown or grey) and white spots. The quantity and size of the spots is highly variable depending on the individual, but they usually have two rows of dark spots on the back surrounding a dorsal tubercle larger than the rest. Dark spots similar to those on the back can be seen on the underside of the mantle. The mantle surface has a velvety appearance, as it is covered with globose papillae with dark dots and surrounded by spicules. Scattered over the back are larger papillae, blotched with opaque white, well separated from the smaller ones surrounding them. The rhinophores have white and brown lamellae in their distal part, which is topped by a white mucron. The base color of the rhinophore is brown. The rhinophoric sheath is quite elevated, covered with mantle-like papillae. The papillae arranged along the edge of the sheath are white. It has 6 bi or tripinnate gill leaves with dark spots, especially on the rachis, and with white tips. These gills are arranged 3 on each side of the anus, completely surrounding it, and arrange parallel to the body when extended. The color of the foot is uniform yellow, sometimes with brown spots, and it is cleft and furrowed in the anterior part, where two long, finger-like tentacles can also be seen flanking the mouth opening.

Biology
Specimens usually found in the intertidal. Like other doridaceans they feed on sponges. The egg-spawn is a white ribbon wound in a spiral of 2-3 whorls. The eggs are regularly arranged and have an average size of 147 microns. Living specimens of P. punctifera have a more flattened shape than other similar species.

Etymology

Doris, is a marine divinity that gives name to the doridacean nudibranchs. She was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and also married the sea god Nereus. They were the parents of the 50 sea nymphs or Nereids.
Pelto– from Latin pellis= skin
Punctifera from Latin punctus = dots, scores; that has dots or scores.

Distribution
Species known from the Canary Islands and Madeira only.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Peltodoris punctifera
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 Peltodoris punctifera based on our own records.

More pictures

Peltodoris punctifera 20mm @ Tenerife by Ortea & Bacallado (1981)

Peltodoris punctifera by Ortea & Bacallado (1981)

Peltodoris punctifera 15mm @ Tenerife by Ortea & Bacallado (1981)

Peltodoris punctifera @ Lanzarote 6.12.2021

Peltodoris punctifera @ Lido do Funchal, Madeira by Peter Wirtz (1999)

Peltodoris punctifera @ Gran Canaria, Spain by Sabina López

Bibliography

Ballesteros, M., E. M. Llera, and J. Ortea. 1985. Revision de los Doridacea (Mollusca: Opistobranchia) del Atlantico nordeste atribuibles al complejo maculosa-fragilis. Bollettino Malacologico, 20 (9-12): 227-257.

Ballesteros, M., E. Madrenas, and M. Pontes. 2023. OPK - Opistobranquis. (https://opistobranquis.info/).

Cervera, J. L., G. Calado, C. Gavaia, M. A. E. Malaquías, J. Templado, M. Ballesteros, J. C. García-Gómez, and C. Megina. 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.

Moro, L., J. L. Martín Esquivel, M. J. Garrido Sanahuja, and I. Izquierdo Zamora. 2003. Lista de especies marinas de Canarias (algas, hongos, plantas y animales). Consejería de Política Territorial y Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Canarias.

Ortea, J., and J. J. Bacallado. 1981. Les Dorididae (Gastropoda) décris des Canaries par Alcide d’Orbigny. Bulletin du Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris. 4: 767–776.

Ortea, J., and E. M. Llera. 1981. Un nuevo dorido (Mollusca: Nudibranchiata) de la isla Isabel, Nayarit, Mexico. Iberus 1: 47-52.

Ortea, J., L. Moro, and J. J. Bacallado. 2015. Babosas Marinas Canarias. Turquesa Ediciones.

Ortea, J., M. C. L. Moro, and J. J. Bacallado. 2003. Resultados Científicos del proyecto “Macaronesia 2000” Chinijo-2002: Moluscos Opistobranquios. Revista de la Academia Canaria de Ciencias 14 (3-4): 165-180.

Ortea, J. A., L. Moro, J. J. Bacallado, and R. Herrera. 2001. Catálogo actualizado de los Moluscos Opistobranquios de las Islas Canarias. Revista de la Academia Canaria de Ciencias. 12: 105–136.

Wirtz, P. 1999. Opisthobranch Molluscs from the archipelago of Madeira. Vita Marina. 46: 1–18.

WoRMS Editorial Board. 2023. World Register of Marine Species. WoRMS. (http://www.marinespecies.org).

Steve Long, 2006

Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000

Gary McDonald, 2009

Bibliographia Nudibranchia

Further reading

Cite this article as:

Pontes, Miquel (2023) "Peltodoris punctifera" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 09/12/2022. Accessed: 04/12/2023. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=35606)

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Peltodoris punctifera