Peltodoris atromaculata

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Peltodoris atromaculata
Discodoris atromaculata.jpg
Peltodoris atromaculata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Family: Discodorididae
Genus: Peltodoris
Species:
P. atromaculata
Binomial name
Peltodoris atromaculata
Bergh, 1880
Synonyms

Discodoris atromaculata

Peltodoris atromaculata, more commonly known as the dotted sea slug or sea cow, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae. [1] It dwells in salt water up to the depth of 40m. It is exclusively found in precorralligene and coralligene communities and is very common in such communities. [2]  

Contents

In the wild, Peltodoris is most abundant between June and September. [3] Adults individuals can be found throughout the year, [4] and two separate generations can coexist at the same time. [3]

While Peltodoris is commonly filed under the genus Discodoris, some studies suggest that there may be a large enough difference in their morphology (e.g. the jaws) for it to be classified as a separate genus. [3]

Distribution

Dotted sea slugs are found almost exclusively in the Mediterranean Sea. [3] There has also been a single report of sighting in the Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Biscay to the Azores [1]

Description

Peltodoris atromaculata between Parazoanthus Peltodoris atromaculata 2.jpg
Peltodoris atromaculata between Parazoanthus

Peltodoris is characterized by brown spots distributed randomly on its white mantle, each spot has a border of a darker brown color. [3] The spots are generally darkest around the center of the mantle. [5] Different populations exhibit different amounts of brown spots, and there is a general pattern of increasing coverage from west to east. [3]

Life-cycle and growth

Spawning

Reproduction is restricted during the summer, during which the animal will spawn for 3–4 days, followed by 2–3 weeks without spawning, after which the cycle restarts. [3] Adult individuals that are spawning experience a decrease in body size and weight which continues after oviposition. [3] All individuals of the species are simultaneous hermaphrodites. [6] During mating, both animals engage each other with their penises, and the one that successfully penetrates the body wall of the other becomes the male. [6] The eggs of Peltodoris lay are spiral shaped and white-yellow in color which measure around 180μm in diameter. [3]

Growth

After the eggs hatch they develop into a planktonic larvae. [6] The larvae are chemically attracted to fulvinol-like polyacetylenes produced exclusively by their food sponges Petrosia and Haliclona, which can trigger settlement. [4]

Adults generally grow to an average length of 5 to 7 cm, and are able to grow up to 12 cm. [5] The sizes of brown spots on the mantle increase proportionally with mantle area as the slug grows. However, coverage of the brown spots never exceeds 50% of the mantle area. [3] Each individual has a unique pattern of spots which may change with growth but remain distinct from one another. [3] The animals grow fastest around the first 6–7 months of their lifespan, growth rate slows for the following 4–5 months and a final decrease in growth rate occurs 3–4 months before death. [3]

Life span

In the wild, Peltodoris exhibits an annual life-cycle, but have been observed to live up to 15 months in the laboratory. [3] They generally die a few weeks after reproduction. [3]

Diet

Peltodoris relies exclusively on the sponges Petrosia ficiforms and Haliclona fulva as its food source, which is detects using chemotaxis. There are no other species know to prey on P. ficiforms and H. fulva, due to the fulvinol-like polyacetylenes produced by the sponges as a secondary metabolite, which are known to be cytotoxic. This lack of competition allows Peltodoris to relatively unrestricted by food availability. While Peltodoris prefers to feed on Haliclona over Petrosia, Petrosia are more numerous leading Peltodoris to feed mainly on Petrosia. In rare occasions, Peltodoris will feed on parts of its own mantle tissue. There are no observed daily and seasonal variation in the feeding habits of Peltodoris.

Defense mechanisms

Peltodoris has two main defense mechanisms that have been confirmed: mantle spicules and disruptive coloration. Unlike most dorid species, Peltodoris do not utilize chemical defense through the absorption of cytotoxic chemicals from their prey. [4]

Mantle spicules

The mantle spicules are composed of calcite (CaCO3) and brucite (Mg(OH)2) and fluorite (Ca2F), with calcite making up the largest percentage and fluorite the least. [7] These deter predators by causing physical harm when the predator comes into contact with the spicules.

Disruptive coloration

The bright coloration on the mantle of Peltodoris serves as aposematic signals which warns predators of protective mechanisms, making predators less likely to attack. [3]

Mucus

A colorless mucus secreted from the mantle of Peltodoris both when the animal is stressed and under normal conditions. The fluid has a relatively neutral pH between 6 and 7. However, it is uncertain whether the mucus plays a role in defense. [3]

Autotomy

Certain Peltodoris individuals will undergo autotomy of the mantle margin before death. During this process, most of the mantle is lost except small parts around the gills and head. Most slugs die right after autotomization, a small number are able to survive for a few hours after autotomization but only for maximum 2–3 hours. Unlike in many other animals, autotomy in Peltodoris is not reversible and is not used for defense, but merely a senescent process. [3]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Diaulula sandiegensis</i> Species of gastropod

Diaulula sandiegensis, commonly known as the San Diego dorid or the ringed dorid, is a species of sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the suborder Doridina and the family Discodorididae.

<i>Peltodoris nobilis</i> Species of gastropod

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllidiidae</span> Family of gastropods

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<i>Hypselodoris purpureomaculosa</i> Species of mollusc

Hypselodoris purpureomaculosa is a species of colourful sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discodorididae</span> Family of gastropods

Discodorididae is a taxonomic family of sea slugs, specifically dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Doridoidea.

<i>Jorunna funebris</i> Species of gastropod

Jorunna funebris, commonly called the dotted nudibranch, is a species of sea slug. It is a dorid nudibranch, which is a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae. The genus Jorunna is composed of roughly 15 other species of nudibranchs, which feed on a variety of sponges.

<i>Aldisa cooperi</i> Species of gastropod

Aldisa cooperi is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cadlinidae.

<i>Peltodoris</i> Genus of gastropods

Peltodoris is a genus of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs in the family Discodorididae.

<i>Discodoris branneri</i> Species of gastropod

Discodoris branneri is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the family Discodorididae.

<i>Halgerda carlsoni</i> Species of gastropod

Halgerda carlsoni is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the family Discodorididae.

<i>Chromodoris orientalis</i> Species of gastropod

Chromodoris orientalis is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. Sea slugs are generally very beautifully colored organisms with intense patterns and ranging in sizes. The Chromodoris orientalis specifically is a white sea slug with black spots in no particular pattern with a yellow, orange, or brown in color ring around its whole body and on its gills. There is much discussion on where it is found, what it eats, how it defends itself without a shell, and its reproduction methods. This is all sought after information because there is not much known about these animals.

Felimare olgae is a species of very colourful sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Hallaxa chani</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Petrosia ficiformis</i> Species of sponge

Petrosia ficiformis, commonly known as the stony sponge, is a species of petrosiid sea sponge in the order Haplosclerida.

Jorunna alisonae is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.

<i>Diaulula boreopacifica</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Elysia marginata</i> Species of sea slug

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References

  1. 1 2 Peltodoris atromaculata Bergh, 1880 . Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species  on 10 January 2019.
  2. ↑ Ciavatta, M. Letizia; Nuzzo, Genoveffa; Takada, Kentaro; Mathieu, Véronique; Kiss, Robert; Villani, Guido; Gavagnin, Margherita (2014-07-25). "Sequestered Fulvinol-Related Polyacetylenes in Peltodoris atromaculata". Journal of Natural Products. 77 (7): 1678–1684. doi:10.1021/np500298h. ISSN   0163-3864. PMID   24950030.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Avila, Conxita (1996-05-02). "The Growth of Peltodoris Atromaculata Bergh, 1880 (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) in the Laboratory". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 62 (2): 151–157. doi: 10.1093/mollus/62.2.151 . hdl: 10261/150258 . ISSN   0260-1230.
  4. 1 2 3 Gemballa, Sven; Schermutzki, Franka (2004-06-01). "Cytotoxic haplosclerid sponges preferred: a field study on the diet of the dotted sea slug Peltodoris atromaculata (Doridoidea: Nudibranchia)". Marine Biology. 144 (6): 1213–1222. doi:10.1007/s00227-003-1279-1. ISSN   0025-3162. S2CID   89305513.
  5. 1 2 "DOTTED SEA-SLUG (Peltodoris atromaculata)". Atlantis Gozo. 2015-07-04. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  6. 1 2 3 "Peltodoris atromaculata". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
  7. ↑ Lucchetti, Gabriella; Gaggero, Laura; Angelini, Stefano; Cattaneo-Vietti, Riccardo (1995-08-01). "Mineral Composition of Nudibranch Spicules". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 61 (3): 331–337. doi:10.1093/mollus/61.3.331. ISSN   0260-1230.
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