Monterey Doris
Doris montereyensis Cooper, 1863
Description 2
Ground color variable, light yellow to dark orange. Dorsum with numerous low, rounded tubercles of various sizes. Dorsum bears many irregular blotches of brown to black which extend up onto the tubercles. Rhinophores yellow to orange, with 20-30 lamellae. Branchial plumes 7, tri- to quadripinnate, yellow to orange. Labial tentacles auriform. May be distinguished from the similar Peltodoris nobilis which has 6 greyish-white branchial plumes which are tipped with white, and in which the brown to black pigment on the dorsum does not extend up onto the tubercles.
Size 2
Typically 25mm in length, but may exceed 150mm.
Geographic Range 2
Kachemak Bay, AK, to San Diego, CA. iNaturalist has an entry from Ensenada, Mexico.
Notes: 2
Preys on several species of yellow sponges.
References 2
BERTSCH, H. 2014b. Doris montereyensis and Peltodoris nobilis (Gastropoda: Nudipleura) in Mexico: eliminating political boundaries in marine biogeography. The Festivus (San Diego Shell Club) 45(4):113-114. PDF
BLOOM, S. A. 1976. Morphological correlations between dorid nudibranch predators and sponge prey. The Veliger 18(3):289-301 PDF
BLOOM, S. A., & C. F. BLOOM. 1977. Radular variation in two species of sponge-rasping dorid nudibranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies 43(3):296-300.
COOK, E. F. 1962. A study of food choice of two opisthobranchs, Rostanga pulchra McFarland and Archidoris montereyensis (Cooper). The Veliger 4(4):194-196. PDF
KNOWLTON, A. L., & R. C. HIGHSMITH. 2005. Nudibranch-sponge feeding dynamics: Benefits of symbiont-containing sponge to Archidoris montereyensis (Cooper, 1862) and recovery of nudibranch feeding scars by Halichondria panicea (Pallas, 1766). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology 327(1):36-46.
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
VALDÉS, Á. 2002c. A phylogenetic analysis and systematic revision of the cryptobranch dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Anthobranchia). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136(4):535-636. PDF
Synonyms 2
Archidoris montereyensis
Additional Info 2
Sources and Credits
- (c) Gary McDonald, all rights reserved, uploaded by Gary McDonald
- (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Rhinophores | perfoliate |
|---|---|
| Body | doridiform |
| Classification | Doridina |
| Dorsum | tuberculate |
| Labial tentacles | auriform |
