Peltodoris atromaculata BERGH 1880
Creators: name: Valdés, Ángel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2002
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Nudibranchia
Discodorididae
Peltodoris
Peltodoris atromaculata

description: PELTODORIS ATROMACULATA BERGH, 1880
(FIGS 4H, 28, 29)
Peltodoris atromaculata Bergh, 1880: 45–46.
Type material
SYNTYPE: Naples, Italy, spring of 1880, one specimen, 34 mm preserved length (ZMUC GAS-2054)
Additional material
Islas Medas, La Escala, west coast of Gerona, Spain, three specimens, 25–34 mm preserved length, leg. T. M. Gosliner (CASIZ 099147). Cala Salada, Ibiza, Spain, one specimen, 49 mm preserved length, leg. A. Valdés (CASIZ 119474). 1 km east of Caloura, Ilha São Miguel, Azores, Portugal, eight specimens, 44–67 mm preserved length, leg. T. M. Gosliner (CASIZ 072584).
External morphology
The general colour of the living animals is whitish to pale cream (Fig. 4H). There is a number of dark brown or black large patches distributed on the dorsum, varying in shape and size. The rhinophores and gill are white or pale cream. The branchial leaves have some small dark brown or black spots. The whole dorsum is covered with small, conical tubercles, which have spicules protruding on their dorsal surface (Fig. 28D). The largest tubercles are situated in the central region of the body. The rhinophoral and branchial sheaths have tubercles similar to those of the rest of the dorsum. There are six tripinnate branchial leaves, forming a circle. The anal papilla is situated in the centre of the branchial circle of leaves. The rhinophores are elongate, having 22 lamellae in a 52-mm preserved length specimen.
Ventrally there are two short and conical oral tentacles (Fig. 29F). The anterior border of the foot is grooved and notched.
Anatomy
The posterior end of the glandular portion of the oral tube has six strong retractor muscles (Fig. 29D) which attach to the body wall. The oval, muscular buccal bulb has two additional muscles attached; two long salivary glands connect with it at each side of the oesophageal junction. The buccal bulb is longer than the glandular portion of the oral tube. The labial cuticle is smooth. The radular formula is 22 ¥ 48.0. 48 in a 54-mm preserved length specimen. Rachidian teeth are absent. The inner lateral teeth are short, having a long, curved cusp and lacking denticles (Fig. 28A). They also have a secondary, short and blunt cusp situated behind the main cusp. The teeth from the middle portion of the half-row are hamate, long and larger than those closer to the medial portion of the radula (Fig. 28B). The outermost teeth are smaller and also smooth (Fig. 28C). The oesophagus is short and connects directly to the stomach (Fig. 29A).
The ampulla is long and thin, and branches into a short oviduct and the prostate (Fig. 29C). The oviduct enters the female gland mass near to its centre. The prostate is flattened, long, folded and granular (Fig. 29B), with two differentiated portions distinguishable by their colour and texture. It connects with a long duct that narrows and expands again into the small ejaculatory portion of the deferent duct. The muscular deferent duct opens into a common atrium with the vagina. The vagina is long. Near to its proximal end it joins the bursa copulatrix. From the bursa copulatrix leads another duct that connects to the seminal receptacle and the uterine duct. The bursa copulatrix is oval in shape, about 10 times as large as the seminal receptacle.
In the central nervous system (Fig. 29E) the cerebral and pleural ganglia are fused and distinct from the pedal ganglia. There are four cerebral nerves leading from the left cerebral ganglion and three from the right one, and three pleural nerves leading from each pleural ganglion. There is a separate abdominal ganglion on the right side of the visceral loop. The buccal ganglia are near to the rest of the central nervous system, joined to the cerebral ganglia by two relatively long nerves. Gastro-oesophageal, rhinophoral and optical ganglia are present. The pedal ganglia are clearly separated, having four nerves leading from each one. The pedal and parapedal commissures are enveloped together with the visceral loop.
The circulatory system (Fig. 29A) consists of a large heart and a two blood glands situated in front of and behind the central nervous system.
description: Published as part of Valdés, Ángel, 2002, A phylogenetic analysis and systematic revision of the cryptobranch dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Anthobranchia), pp. 535-636 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136 (4) on pages 585-586, DOI: 10.1046/j.1096-3642.2002.00039.x, http://zenodo.org/record/4634200