A synoptic review of the family Dendronotidae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia): a multilevel organismal diversity approach
Author
Korshunova, Tatiana
Author
Bakken, Torkild
Author
GrØtan, Viktor V.
Author
Johnson, Kjetil B.
Author
Lundin, Kennet
Author
Martynov, Alexander
text
Contributions To Zoology
2021
2020-08-28
90
1
93
153
journal article
7653
10.1163/18759866-BJA10014
4d549485-cfa2-4efb-a676-e855443d2613
4623915
Dendronotus iris
Cooper, 1863
Fig. 7
Dendronotus iris
Cooper, 1863: 59
;
MacFarland, 1966: 257–265
, Pl. 47, Figs 12– 18; Plate 48,
Figs 1–6
; Pl. 49,
Fig. 4
; Pl. 50,
Fig. 1
; Pl. 51,
Figs 1–5
;
Robilliard, 1970: 446–450
,
Figs 4–6
, 10–12, Pl. 63, Fig. 30;
Behrens, 1980: 74
;
Behrens & Hermosillo, 2005: 94
.
Dendronotus giganteus
O’Donoghue, 1921: 187–190
; Pl. 4, Fig. 47; Pl. 5, Figs 57–59.
Extended diagnosis
. Body relatively narrow. Four to eight pairs of branched dorsolateral appendages. Two to four oral veil appendages. Two to five appendages (longest internal) of rhinophoral stalks. Lateral papilla of rhinophoral sheaths present. Rhinophoreswith 15–31 lamellae. 20–40 lip papillae. Basal colour grayish to reddish-orange, with white line bordered foot edge. Dorsal processes of jaws inclined posteriorly at approximately 40° to the longitudinal axis of the jaw body and 0.35 of its length. Masticatory processes bear denticles (possibly including ridge-like structures and denticles). Radula with up to 61 rows of teeth. Central tooth quite narrow, with deep furrows and with up to 18 distinct denticles. Up to 21 lateral teeth commonly smooth, occasionally with up to eight denticles. Ampulla relatively narrow with numerous loops. Bursa copulatrix moderate in size, oval, bent. Seminal receptaculum small, placed distally at a moderately short distance from the vaginal opening. Prostate very long, non-discoid, linear, with numerous alveolar glands. The vas deferens is short, penis moderately short, straight, with blunt tip. Body length of live specimens may reach more than
20 cm
.
Distribution
. NE Pacific, from southern
Alaska
to
California
(but records from
Baja California
need to be confirmed). As an adult it feeds on cerianthid anthozoans (
Wobber, 1970
;
Shaw, 1991
), quite different to other
Dendronotus
species.
Bathymetry
.
10–30 mdepth
.
Remarks
. This species is clearly distinguished by a combination of external characters (uniform grayish to reddish-orange colour, massive dorsal appendages) and internal characters (linear instead of discoid prostate – unique for the genus), and also by adult behavioral patterns (special “rearing attack” feeding on species of Ceriantharia, e.g.,
Shaw, 1991
).
Dendronotusnanus
Marcus et Marcus, 1967
was considered a synonym of
D. iris
(
Stout et al., 2010
)
, but in the absence of molecular data and presence of morphological differences (see below) we prefer to retain
D. nanus
as a separate species (see details below).
Dendronotusiris
possibly is the largest species of its genus.