Doto urak
| Doto urak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Monterey, CA, 2026 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Dendronotacea |
| Family: | Dotidae |
| Genus: | Doto |
| Species: | D. urak |
| Binomial name | |
| Doto urak Gosliner & Adayapalam, 2025[1] | |
Doto urak is a species of small nudibranch sea slug in the family Dotidae.
Distribution
Doto urak was first described from the San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles, California.[1] It has since been observed as far south as San Diego and as far north as Eureka, California.[2][3]
Description
Doto urak has a translucent white body that is 4-7 mm in length.[3][4] It has distinctive pink digestive glands that protrude from the stomach and into the 4-7 pairs of dorsal projections called cerata. The cerata are each covered in white, egg-shaped tubercles. Unlike in the related D. amyra, the tubercles of D. urak have opaque white glands on their surfaces. Other distinguishing features of D. urak include longer rhinophores with flared sheaths, as well as darker digestive glands.[3]
Ecology
Like other members of its genus, D. urak feeds on hydroids.[5] Unlike related species of Doto, the juvenile D. urak can feed themselves immediately after hatching from their larval stage.[6]
Biology
Like most sea slugs, D. urak is a simultaneous hemaphrodite. However, it has a reproductive system that is distinct from other Doto. Its female and male reproductive tracts are connected.[6] The planktotrophic larvae are also distinct from the lecithotrophic larvae of other Doto.[3]
Etymology
The specific epithet urak comes from the southern Ohlone word meaning salmon, in reference to the distinctive salmon pink or orange color on the organism's cerata.[1] It was described and named in 2025 by Terry Gosliner, who has helped describe and name over 450 species of sea slugs, or nearly a quarter of all sea slugs species on Earth.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 Bouchet, Philippe (2025). "Doto urak Gosliner & Adayapalam, 2025". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Doto urak". iNaturalist.
- 1 2 3 4 Adayapalam, Sneha; Bonomo, Lynn J; Shipman, Carissa; Gosliner, Terrence M (2025). "The song of the Doto (Nudibranchia: Dotidae): newly documented diversity from the coast of California". Zootaxa. 5609 (4): 553--577.
- ↑ Schilling, Sara (April 4, 2025). "Tiny creatures with translucent bodies found in CA waters. See the new species". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ W. J. Lambert (1991). "Coexistence of Hydroid Eating Nudibranchs: Do Feeding Biology and Habitat Use Matter?". The Biological Bulletin. 181 (2): 248–260. doi:10.2307/1542096. JSTOR 1542096. PMID 29304644.
- 1 2 Skalnik, Allie (May 14, 2026). "Meet a Newly Named Nudibranch With a Unique Approach to Sex". Bay Nature. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ Ely, Megan (January 7, 2026). "California Academy of Sciences Describes 72 New Species in 2025". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved June 15, 2026.