Berthella ocellata

Berthella ocellata (delle Chiaje, 1830)

Berthella ocellata by Enric Madrenas

Taxonomy
 

Superdomain

Biota  

 

Kingdom

Animalia  

 

Phylum

Mollusca  

 

Class

Gastropoda  

 

Subclass

Heterobranchia  

 

Infraclass

Euthyneura  

 

Subterclass

Ringipleura  

 

Superorder

Nudipleura  

 

Order

Pleurobranchida  

 

Superfamily

Pleurobranchoidea  

 

Family

Pleurobranchidae  

 

Genus

Berthella  

 

Species

Berthella ocellata  (Delle Chiaje, 1830)

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 140811).
Synonyms

  • Pleurobranchus monterosati Vayssière, 1880
  • Pleurobranchus ocellatus Delle Chiaje, 1830 (original)

Description
This notaspidean can reach more than 50 mm in length. The main features of this species are the domed mantle, its dark brown color and the lightly colored ocelli fringed with white, which are characteristic and refered in the specific name. The head veil is quite wide and pigmented of a slightly lighter brown than the body. The rhinophores are auriculate, light brown colored and arranged in divergent orientation, towards both sides. The mantle has numerous, different sized, round bumps that match the ocelli. These bumps are fringed with white circles that can connect with those of adjacent ocelli. The gill, located in the right side of the body, between the mantle and the foot, is bipinnate, yellowish and may have up to 25 lamellae on either side of the spine, which can be dotted in light brown. The foot is wide and can emit defensive acid secretions.

Biology
This species is usually collected under rocks at shallow depth. Very little is known about feeding, breeding and other details of its biology.

Etymology

  • Berthella. Probably 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.
  • Ocellata. From Latin “ocellatus”, with small eyes, or eye shaped colour stains.

Distribution
So far this species has been collected only in the Mediterranean Sea. In the Catalan coast it is found sporadically, but there are cites in Es Caials (Cadaqués), Illa Mateua (L’Escala) or Palamos, among others.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Berthella ocellata
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 Berthella ocellata based on our own records.

Videos

 

More pictures

Bibliography

    Ballesteros M. 2007. Lista actualizada de los opistobranquios (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) de las costas catalanas. Spira. 2(3):163–188.
    Ballesteros M, Pontes M, Madrenas E. 2015. Opisthobranch from Medes Islands (Marine Protected Area, Costa Brava, Catalonia, NE Spain): 40 years of study. Available from https://www.facebook.com/people/5th-International-Workshop-on-Opisthobranchs/100072425991990/.
    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, Madrenas E, Pontes M. 2023. OPK - Opistobranquis. Available from https://opistobranquis.info/.
    Bielecki S, Cavignaux G, Crouzet JM, et al. 2011. Des limaces de rêve.
    Calvín Calvo JC. 1995. El ecosistema marino mediterráneo, guía de su fauna y su flora.
    Canessa M, Bavestrello G, Cattaneo-Vietti R, et al. 2021. Rocky substrate affects benthic heterobranch assemblages and prey/predator relationships. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 38: 539-558. 261:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107568.
    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.
    Crocetta F, Zibrowius H, Bitar G, et al. 2013. Biogeographical homogeneity in the eastern Mediterranean Sea - I: the opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Lebanon. Mediterranean Marine Science, Vol 14, no.2.
    Crocetta F, Bitar G, Zibrowius H, et al. 2020. Increase in knowledge of the marine gastropod fauna of Lebanon since the 19th century. Bulletin of Marine Science. 96(1):1–22. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2019.0012.
    Dacosta JM, Pontes M, Ollé i Callau A, et al. 2009. Seguiment de mol·luscs opistobranquis a la platja des Caials (Cadaqués, Alt Empordà). Contribució al catàleg del Parc Natural de Cap de Creus. Annals de l’Institut d’Estudis Empordanesos. 40:107–130. https://doi.org/10.2436/20.8010.01.8.
    Delle Chiaje S. 1830. Memorie sulla storia e notomoa degli animali senza vertebre del regno di Napoli.
    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.
    Domènech A, Avila C, Ballesteros M. 2002. Spatial and Temporal variability of the Opisthobranch molluscs of Port Lligat Bay (Catalonia, NE Spain). Journ. Moll. Stud., 68:29-37.
    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.
    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.
    Moro L, Bacallado JJ, Ortea JA. 2010. Babosas marinas de las islas Canarias. Actas VI Semana Científica Telesforo Bravo, Instituto de Estudios Hispánicos de Canarias. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1168.2009.
    Moro L, Martín Esquivel JL, Garrido Sanahuja MJ, et al. 2003. Lista de especies marinas de Canarias (algas, hongos, plantas y animales). Consejería de Política Territorial y Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Canarias. 248 p.
    Ozturk B, Dogan A, Bitlis-Bakir B, et al. 2014. Marine Molluscs of the Turkish Coasts: An Updated Checklist. Tübitak, Turkish Journal of Zoology 38. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1405-78.
    Peñas A, Rolán E, Luque A, et al. 2006. Moluscos marinos de la zona de la isla de Alborán. Iberus, supplement 6.
    Pontes M, Dacosta JM, Ollé i Callau A, et al. 2023. M@re Nostrum. Available from http://marenostrum.org/.
    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/.
    Ros J. 1975. Opistobranquios (Gastropoda: euthyneura) del litoral ibérico. Investigacion Pesquera. 39(2):269–372. Available from http://www.icm.csic.es/scimar/index.php/secId/8/IdNum/173/.
    Ros J. 1978. Distribució en l’espai i en el temps dels opistobranquis iberics, amb especial referencia als del litoral catalá. Butll. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat., 42 (Sec. Zool., 2): 23-32.
    Ros J. 1973. Opistobranquios (Gastropoda: Euthyneura) del litoral ibérico : Estudio faunístico y ecológico [Tesis Doctoral]. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. 285 p.
    Rudman W.B. et al. 1998 2010. Berthella ocellata accessed through: Sea Slug Forum on 2014-12-14. Available from http://seaslugforum.net/showall/bertocel.
    Sánchez Tocino L. 2001. Berthella ocellata accessed through: Opistobranquios de la Costa de Granada on 2014-12-14. Available from http://www.ugr.es/~lstocino/berthella_ocellata.htm.
    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/.
    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.
    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.
    WoRMS Editorial Board. 2023. 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. (2023) "Berthella ocellata" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 15/05/2012. Accessed: 19/03/2024. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=392)

To copy this cite click on the right button.