Doto varaderoensis explained

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

Distribution

This species was described from Playa de Varadero, Cuba. It has also been reported from Puerto Rico^[1] and Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida.

Description

The body of this nudibranch is translucent brown in colour. The cerata have numerous tubercles which are swollen and globular in appearance.^[2]

The maximum recorded body length is 10 mm.^[3]

Ecology

Minimum recorded depth is 1 m.^[3] Maximum recorded depth is 5 m.^[3]

Doto varaderoensis was found associated with the hydroids Thyroscyphus sp. in the family Sertulariidae.

Notes and References

1. Valdés, Ángel; Hamann, Jeff; Behrens, David W.; DuPont, Anne. Caribbean Sea Slugs, Sea Challengers Natural History Books, Etc., Gig Harbor, Washington 2006, pp. 150-151.
2. http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/dotovara Rudman, W.B., 2009 (June 3) Doto varaderoensis Ortea, 2001. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.]
3. Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. .