Home Guide to Opisthobranchs Pleurobranchida Berthella stellata

Berthella stellata

Berthella stellata (Risso, 1826)

Berthella stellata 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

Pleurehdera  

 

Species

Pleurehdera stellata   (Risso, 1826)

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 1736474).
Synonyms

  • Berthella albocrossata Heller & Thompson T., 1983 
  • Berthella postrema Burn, 1962
  • Berthella stellata albocrossata Heller & Thompson, 1983
  • Berthella tupala Er. Marcus, 1957
  • Pleurobranchus pellucidus Pease, 1860
  • Pleurobranchus stellatus Risso, 1826 (original)

Description
This is a species that can reach up to 30 mm in length. In large specimens the mantle is very flat, with a rounded contour and that completely covers the foot. The main feature of this species is the whitish “Y” shaped spot on the back, that could be somewhat irregular. The coloration of this species is very variable but the most widespread large specimens usually show different shades of brown with small irregular whitish spots. Smaller specimens can be whitish, yellowish or reddish. This coloration is due to the many color spots embedded in the mantle. The Y-shaped stain can be absent in bigger specimens. The inner shell is not seen by transparency below the mantle. The cephalic veil is colored light brown, as are the rhinophores, gill and hiponotum, and the underside of the foot is whitish. The gill is bipinnate and has up to 19 slides to either side of the spine.

Biology
In the Catalan coast appears frequently at shallow depth (20-30 cm), under rocks with abundant colonial tunicates that can be its food. In the breeding season it is common to see groups of multiple specimens (up to 10-12 in Es Caials) copulating and laying eggs. The spawn is a gelatinous spiral ribbon of about two turns, with numerous little white eggs. This species also has glands in the foot that expel a very acidic secretion (pH 0-1) for defensive purposes.

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.
  • Stellata. From Latin stellatus meaning “starred”, “with a star”.

Distribution
This species, of Mediterranean origin, seems to have a circumtropical distribution. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been reported in all its coastal areas, also in the Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores. In Catalan waters it is frequent in Es Caials (N of the Costa Brava).

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

Videos

 

More pictures

Berthella stellata
Berthella stellata
Berthella stellata
Berthella stellata
Berthella stellata
Berthella stellata
Posta de Berthella stellata
Berthela stellata (Atlantic) by Carlos Fernández-Cid
Berthella stellata (Portugal) by Joao Pedro Silva
Berthella stellata @ Tarifa 9-05-2015 by Manuel Martínez Chacón
Berthella stellata @ France by Pascal Girard

Bibliography

    Bacallado JJ, Ortea J, Moro L, et al. 2008. Inventario de los moluscos de la marina de Arrecife, Lanzarote. Canarias Conservación.:1–32. Available from https://www.canariasconservacion.org/LA%20MARINA/DOC-16-Inventario%20de%20los%20moluscos%20de%20la%20marina%20de%20arrecife%202008.pdf.
    Ballesteros M. 2007. Lista actualizada de los opistobranquios (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) de las costas catalanas. Spira. 2(3):163–188.
    Ballesteros M, Barrajón A, Luque A, et al. 1986. Contribución al conocimiento de los Moluscos Gasterópodos marinos de Almería. Iberus, 6: 39-57.
    Ballesteros M, Álvarez C, Mateo B. 1986. Aproximación a la fauna de opistobranquios de la isla de Menorca. Publicaciones del Departamento de Zoología (Barcelona) 12: 93-106.
    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. 2025. OPK - Opistobranquis. Available from https://opistobranquis.info/.
    Bielecki S, Cavignaux G, Crouzet JM, et al. 2011. Des limaces de rêve.
    Caballer M, Ortea J, Rivero N, et al. 2015. The opisthobranch gastropods (Mollusca: Heterobranchia) from Venezuela: an annotated and illustrated inventory of species. Zootaxa 4034 (2): 201–256.
    Calado G, Urgorri V, Gaspar R, et al. 1999. Catálogo de los moluscos opistobranquios bentónicos de las costas de Setúbal-Espichel (Portugal). Nova Acta Científica Compostelana (Bioloxía) 9: 285-294.
    Calado G, Malaquias M, Gavaia C, et al. 2003. New data on opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the southwestern coast of Portugal. Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía 19 (1-4): 199-204.
    Camacho-Garcia Y, Gosliner T, Valdes A. 2005. Guía de Campo de las babosas marinas del Pacífico Este tropical. S.l.: California Academy of Sciences.
    Cervera JL, García-Gómez JC. 1986. Moluscos opistobranquios del litoral occidental andaluz: nuevas aportaciones faunísticas. Iberus 6 (2): 201-207.
    Cervera JL, Gosliner TM, García-Gómez JC, et al. 2000. A new species of Berthella Blainville, 1824 (Opisthobranchia: Notaspidea) from the Canary Islands (Eastern Atlantic Ocean), with a re-examination of the phylogenetic relationships of the Notaspidea. Journal of Molluscan Studies 66: 301-311.
    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, 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.
    García FJ, Troncoso JS, Domínguez M. 2002. New data on the benthic Opisthobranch Molluscs from the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil), with description of a new species of Aegires Lovén, 1844. Iberus 20(2): 45-56.
    García-Gómez JC. 1987. Adiciones a la fauna de Opistobranquios del Estrecho de Gibraltar (sur de España), I. Iberus 7 (2): 197-209.
    García-Gómez JC, Cervera JL, García FJ, et al. 1989. Resultados de la Campaña Internacional de Biología Marina “Ceuta-86”: Moluscos Opistobranquios. Bollettino Malacologico. 25:223–232.
    García-Gómez JC, Cervera JL, García FJ, et al. 1991. Resultados de la campaña internacional de biología marina “Algarve 88”: moluscos opistobranquios. Bollettino Malacologico 27 (5-9): 125-138.
    Ghanimi H, Schrödl M, Goddard JHR, et al. 2020. Stargazing under the sea: molecular and morphological data reveal a constellation of species in the Berthella stellata (Risso, 1826) species complex (Mollusca, Heterobranchia, Pleurobranchidae). Marine Biodiversity. 50(11):1–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-019-01027-w.
    Göbbeler K, Klussmann Kolb A. 2010. Out of Antarctica?-New insights into the phylogeny and biogeography of the Pleurobranchomorpha (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Molecular  Phylogenetics & Evolution. 55(3):996–1007.
    Goodheart J, Camacho García Y, Padula V, et al. 2015. Systematics and biogeography of Pleurobranchus Cuvier, 1804, sea slugs (Heterobranchia: Nudipleura: Pleurobranchidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 174: 322-362. Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12237.
    Long SJ. 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000. Bayside Books & Press, Tustin, CA, U.S.A. 672p.
    López PJ, Conradi M, Naranjo S, et al. 1992. A New Species of Anthessius (Copepoda, Poecilostomatoida) Associated with Berthella stellata (Risso, 1826) (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 105(2):240-248.
    Malaquias MA, Calado GJP. 1997. The malacological fauna of Salvage Islands - 1. Opisthobranch Molluscs. Bol. Mus. Mun. Funchal, 49(281): 149-170.
    Malaquias MAE, Calado G, Da Cruz JF, et al. 2014. Opisthobranch molluscs of the Azores, results of the IV Internationa Workshop of Malacology and Marine Biology (4-13 July 2011) (Mosteiros, São Miguel, Azores). Açoreana, 2014, Supplement 10: 139-147.
    Malaquias M, Calado G, Padula V, et al. 2009. Molluscan diversity in the North Atlantic Ocean: new records of opisthobranch gastropods from the Archipelago of the Azores. Marine Biodiversity. 2:e38.
    Marín A, Ros J. 1987. Catálogo preliminar de los gasterópodos marinos del sudeste español. Iberus 7 (1): 137-145.
    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.
    Menéndez JL, Oliveros J. 2004 2015. Berthella stellata accessed through: AsturNatura on 2015-02-05. Available from http://www.asturnatura.com/especie/berthella-stellata.html.
    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.
    Ortea J, L. Moro MC, Bacallado JJ. 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, Espinosa J, Caballer M, et al. 2012. Initial inventory of the seaslugs (Opisthobranchia and Sacoglossa) from the expedition Karubentos, held in May 2012 in Guadeloupe (Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea). Revista de la Academia Canaria de Ciencias 24: 153-182.
    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.
    Parera A, Pontes M, Salvador X, et al. 2020. Sea slugs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia): the other inhabitants of the city of Barcelona (Spain). Butlletí de la Institució Catalana d’Història Natural, 84: 75-100.
    Perrone AS. 1984. Berthella stellata albocrossata Heller e Thompson, 1983 (pistobranco “nuovo” per il Mediterraneo. (Opisthobranchia : Notaspidea). Thallasia Salentina 14:55-59, 10 figs.
    Pontes M, Salvador X, Parera A, et al. 2021. Biodiversity in anthropized marinas. The case of the Barcelona Forum bathing area (Spain). Barcelona: Institució Catalana d’Història Natural (Monografies de la Societat Catalana d’Història Natural). 68 p.
    Pontes M, Dacosta JM, Ollé i Callau A, et al. 1996 2025. 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/.
    Risso A. 1826. Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l’Europe Méridionale et particulièrement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes. Paris, Levrault: Vol. 1: XII + 448 + 1 carta [1826]. Vol. 2: VII + 482 + 8 pl. (fiori) [novembre 1827]. Vol. 3: XVI + 480 + 14 pl. (pesci) [settembre 1827]. Vol. 4: IV + 439 + 12 pl. (molluschi) [novembre 1826]. Vol. 5: VIII + 400 + 10 pl. (altri invertebrati) [Novembre 1827].
    Rolán E. 2005. Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, Germany.
    Rudman W.B. et al. 1998 2010. Berthella stellata accessed through: Sea Slug Forum on 2014-12-14. Available from http://seaslugforum.net/showall/bertstel.
    Sánchez Tocino L. 2001. Berthella stellata accessed through: Opistobranquios de la Costa de Granada on 2014-12-14. Available from http://www.ugr.es/~lstocino/berthella_stellata.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/.
    Silva JP. 2008 2014. Berthella stellata accessed through: Hypselodoris, Lesmas do Mar on 2014-12-21. Available from http://hypselodoris.blogspot.pt/2012/01/berthella-stellata-risso-1826.html.
    Templado J. 1982. Datos sobre los opistobranquios del Cabo de Palos (Murcia). Bollettino Malacologico 18 (9-12): 247-254.
    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.
    Templado J, M. Calvo FB AM García-Carrascosa, Jiménez J. 2002. Flora y fauna de la Reserva Marina de las islas Columbretes. Secretaría General de Pesca Marítima; Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Madrid: 263 pp.

    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) "Berthella stellata" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 15/05/2012. Accessed: 03/02/2025. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=396)