Geitodoris planata
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geitodoris planata is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae.
| Geitodoris planata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dorsal view of Geitodoris cf. planata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Family: | Discodorididae |
| Genus: | Geitodoris |
| Species: | G. planata |
| Binomial name | |
| Geitodoris planata | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Doris planata Alder & Hancock, 1846 | |
Taxonomy
It was originally described from Europe. Caribbean populations are morphologically similar but almost certainly distinct.[5] Alvim & Pimenta (2013)[6] regarded Caribbean animals as Geitodoris pusae (Er. Marcus, 1955), but no molecular studies have been conducted to compare animals from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.[5] Further research is necessary to clarify the status of this species.[5]
Distribution
Distribution of Geitodoris planata includes Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Western Atlantic: New Jersey, St. Lucia and Panama.[5]
The type locality is "Lamlash Bay", Isle of Arran, Scotland.[1]
Description
The body is oval.[5] Mantle is rigid.[5] Dorsum is covered by rounded, stalked tubercles.[5] Background color is grayish-brown with some dark brown irregular patches.[5] The color fades and becomes more translucent towards the mantle margin.[5] Larger tubercles surrounded with opaque white pigment.[5] Rhinophores and gill are usually the same color as the dorsum with white tips.[5] The maximum recorded body length is 65 mm.[7][5]
Ecology
Minimum recorded depth is 91 m.[7] Maximum recorded depth is 267 m.[7] But this species apparently live also in more shallow water.[5] It was found in coral rubble in a predominately sea grass habitat in Panama.[5]
Its prey include sponges Hemimycale columella and Hymeniacidon perlevis.[8]