dorid nudibranch Doris kerguelenensis

Doris kerguelenensis is found in Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula, South Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands, South Georgia Island, Falkland Islands, Shag Rock, Bouvet Island, Kerguelen Island, Macquarie Island, New Caledonia, Heard Island, southern Chile, southern Argentina, and near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at depths from 0 to 740 meters [1,2,4,5,10,12]. The collection off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at 740 meters depth with a water temperature of 5 degrees Celsius illustrates how Antarctic bottom water extends to the Equator at great depth [5].

The body of Doris kerguelenensis can be over twelve centimeters in length, and can be white, pale or bright yellow, with the gills and rhinophores often slightly darker [1,4,9]. Some white D. kerguelenensis have white pigment on the gills [1].



Doris kerguelenensis is covered with tubercles of different size and form [1,4,9].

Doris kerguelenensis feeds on the sponges Rossella racovitzae, Rossella nuda, Anoxycalyx (Scolymastra) joubini, Tetilla leptoderma, Haliclona dancoi, Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata, Polymastia invaginata, Haliclona tenella, Calyx arcuarius, Isodictya setifera, Ectyodoryx cf. ramilobosa, and Dendrilla antarctica [2,3,4,6,7,8].

Taxonomic Note: The genus Austrodoris is a synonym for Doris [11]. Austrodoris macmurdensis is a synonym for Doris kerguelenensis [1].

1: Journal of Molluscan Studies 56:163- 180, 1990; 2: Journal of Molluscan Studies 57:223-228, 1991; 3: Marine Biology 100(4):439-441, 1989; 4: Polar Biology 13(6):417-421, 1993; 5: Journal of Molluscan Studies 53(2):179-188, 1987; 6: Journal of Molluscan Studies 62(3):281-287, 1996; 7: Biologie des Spongiaires, Sponge Biology. C Levi and N Boury-Esnault, eds. Colloques Internationaux du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Number 291. Paris : Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1979. pp.271-282; 8: Ecological Monographs 44(1):105-128, 1974; 9: Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique / Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen. Biologie 66:29-40, 1996; 10: Malacologia 43(1-2):237-311, 2001; 11: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136(4):535-636, 2002; 12: Polar Biology 29(2):83-96, 2006

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