Doto bella explained

Doto bella is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dotidae.

Distribution

This species was described from the Izu Peninsula, Japan. It is widely distributed on the Pacific Ocean coasts of Japan and the Japan Sea coasts. A species from Indonesia has previously been identified as Doto bella but is now thought to be an undescribed species.^{[1] [2]}

Notes and References

1. Behrens, D. W. (2004). Doto bella. In: The Slug Site, Ed. Miller, M.
2. Gosliner, T.M., Valdés, A. & Behrens, D.W. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification - Indo-Pacific. New World Publications, Jacksonville, Florida, 408 pp., Doto sp. 12, page 330.
3. Baba, K. 1971. Anatomical studies on three species of Doto (D. bella, D. japonica and D. pita) from Japan (Nudibranchia: Dendronotoidea: Dotoidae). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 19(2-3):73-79, pls. 4-5.
4. http://www.umiushi-zukan.com/main/disp_pic.php?pic_id=8376 Doto bella feeding
5. Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Apr 7). Comment on Doto from Indonesia by Tony Wu. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.^[2]

   Description

   This nudibranch is transparent white with a diffuse, sub-epidermal layer of black pigment which is faint in some specimens and very dense in others. The ceratal tubercles are slightly stalked with globular tips which have a large black spot which is partly obscured by white glands in the terminal tubercle. The digestive gland is usually yellow. The outer half of the rhinophores is black.^[3]

   Ecology

   Doto bella has been photographed on a colony of a hydroid, probably in the family Aglaopheniidae on which it presumably feeds.^[4]

   References