Description ²

General ground color raw umber, with small, dark brown to black spots between the fine papillae on the dorsum. With 4 concentrations of brown pigment forming irregular spots on dorsum, 2 just posterior of rhinophores, on either side of mid-dorsal ridge, the other 2 just anterior of the branchial plumes, on either side of the mid-dorsal ridge. A mid-dorsal ridge extends posteriorly on dorsum from between the rhinophores to just anterior of the branchial plumes; a few smaller irregular ridges extend laterally from a median prominence on the ridge. Rhinophores bear 15-18 lamellae. Branchial plumes 3-5, bi- to tripinnate, projecting posteriorly from beneath 3 thick, bluntly triangular lobes on anterior and antero-lateral margins of branchial sheath; branchial plumes pale raw umber. Labial tentacles auriform.

Size ²

Up to about 60mm in length, typically about half to 2/3 that length.

Geographic Range ²

Monterey Bay, CA to Ensenada, Baja California,Mexico.

Notes ²

Very rare, in the low, rocky intertidal, in areas of heavy surf.

References ²

MACFARLAND, F. M. 1966. Studies of opisthobranchiate mollusks of the Pacific coast of North America. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 6:1-546, pls. 1-72. PDF

McDONALD, G. R. 1983. A review of the nudibranchs of the California coast. Malacologia 24(1-2):114-276. PDF

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MARINE INVERTEBRATE TAXONOMISTS. 2018. A taxonomic listing of benthic macro- and megainvertebrates from infaunal & epibenthic monitoring and research programs in the southern California bight, edition 12, 1 July 2018, xviii + 167 pp. PDF

Synonyms ²

Atagema quadrimaculata Collier, 1963
Glossodohdiformia alba O'Donoghue, 1927
Petelodohs spongicola MacFarland, 1966

Additional Info ²

WoRMS

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Gary McDonald, all rights reserved, uploaded by Gary McDonald
2. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SeaLifeBase
• World Register of Marine Species

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