Felimare picta (R. A. Philippi, 1836)

Description

A large chromodorid dorid that reaches about 200 mm in length, making it one of the largest sea slugs in the Mediterranean. The body is elongate, with the mantle slightly overhanging the sides of the foot. The background colour is deep blue, finely lined and dotted with bright yellow. The rhinophores are blue; the gills are also dark blue with conspicuous yellow rachis. Large individuals can carry up to about twelve gill leaves. The mantle margin bears a series of defensive glandular structures (mantle dermal formations).

Distribution

Originally described from Palermo, Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea. Subsequent records cover the whole Mediterranean basin, the eastern Atlantic (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde) and the Gulf of Mexico. Found on rocky reefs.

Etymology

The specific epithet picta is from the Latin pictus, meaning "painted", referring to the species' vivid blue-and-yellow colour pattern.

Remarks

Feeds primarily on sponges. Popularly known as the "Regal Sea Goddess" or "Painted Doris" in English.

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References

• Doris picta Schultz [in Philippi], Philippi R.A. (1836). Enumeratio molluscorum Siciliae cum viventium tum in tellure tertiaria fossilium quae in itinere suo observavit. Berolini: Sumptibus Simonis Schroppii et Sociorum.
• Hypselodoris picta (Schultz, 1838), Gosliner T.M. & Johnson R.F. (1999). Phylogeny of Hypselodoris (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) with a review of the monophyletic clade of Indo-Pacific species, including descriptions of twelve new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 125: 1-114. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1999.tb00585.x
• Felimare picta, Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012). Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: a molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479.