Doto acuta

Doto acuta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia; clade Euthyneura; clade Nudipleura; clade Nudibranchia; clade Dexiarchia; clade Cladobranchia; clade Dendronotida
Superfamily:	Tritonioidea
Family:	Dotidae
Genus:	Doto
Species:	D. acuta
Binomial name
	Doto acuta; Schmekel & Kress, 1977[1]

Doto acuta is a species of sea slug, a Dendronotid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dotidae.[2]

Distribution

This species was described from Naples, Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea. The 3.5 mm long holotype was collected on the hydroid Obelia geniculata, which was growing on the sea grass Posidonia at 10m depth off Capo Posillipo.[1]

Description

The body of this dendronotid nudibranch is mostly transparent cadmium yellow in colour, with minute dots of black and a black line of pigment on the inner side of the ceratal bases. Each ceratal tubercle is topped with a black spot. There is a black band below the tip of the rhinophore, and a more diffuse band lower down. The maximum length of this species is 7 mm.

Ecology

Doto acuta is found on colonies of the hydroid, Obelia geniculata (family Campanulariidae), on which it feeds. The eggs normally hatch into young slugs after metamorphosis (direct development), or there may be a short swimming larval phase of 2 days.[3]

References

Schmekel, L. & Kress, A. (1977). Die Gattung Doto (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) im Mittelmeer und Armelicanal, mit Beschreibung von Doto acuta, n. sp. Malacologia, 16(2): 467-499.
Gofas, S. (2015). Doto acuta Schmekel & Kress, 1977. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-12-28
Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres. Nudibranchia und Saccoglossa. L. Schmekel and A. Portmann, (1982) Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 410 pages, 36 plates (18 in colour). Printed in German (some English sections).

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[SK-1] Schmekel, L. & Kress, A. (1977). Die Gattung Doto (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) im Mittelmeer und Armelicanal, mit Beschreibung von Doto acuta, n. sp. Malacologia, 16(2): 467-499.

[2] Gofas, S. (2015). Doto acuta Schmekel & Kress, 1977. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-12-28

[SP-3] Opisthobranchia des Mittelmeeres. Nudibranchia und Saccoglossa. L. Schmekel and A. Portmann, (1982) Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 410 pages, 36 plates (18 in colour). Printed in German (some English sections).