Obelia dichotoma

Bernard Picton Doto coronata from Skomer Island, Wales. These were feeding on a large bushy Obelia, probably Obelia dichotoma. I think these might be the same as yours Rachel Shucksmith? http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152797849735154&set=o.166655096779112&type=1&theater

Bernard Picton I should have put a date on: 15:6:2010.

Erling Svensen Out diving today. A lots, lots of Doto's, Gods know what kind of Doto? May be Doto coronata? Also quite many E. exiguus but they are very small now. In 2-3 weeks they become bigger (small is less than 4 millimeter - big is 5 - 7 millimeter).

Christian Skauge Beautiiiful! Woulf guess D. coronata but as you know they're almost impossible... :-)

Bernard Picton These are the Doto coronata which eat Obelia geniculata I think, Erling. We need to test, probably by sequencing a bit of DNA, to see if they are the same as the one you had the other day, which was eating Obelia dichotoma (probably). There are more or less identical, but bigger, animals eating Sertularia argentea, slightly darker ones eating Abietinaria abietina, and ones which look more or less the same eating several other hydroids. Carissa Shipman will like to see these.

Carissa Shipman It will be great to find out how genetically divergent these cryptic species are from one another. Still working on photographing them and then Terry will dissect them to look at their reproductive systems. Then I will get DNA! So much to do, but I must be systematic about it.

Erling Svensen The hydroid (best I could find). I will dive tomorrow and take some new ones. The tubercles are deep red in colour.

Bernard Picton Looks like an Obelia to me, perhaps Obelia dichotoma (if that's a single species as we currently use the name).

Erling Svensen If its Obelia, does it helps with the Doto?

Bernard Picton No-one really knows what the original Doto coronata is. The drawing in Gmelin, 1791, shows an animal on a Eudendrium or Obelia-like hydroid and it was cast up on the dutch coast. Carissa Shipman is working on Doto now, but they have to be one of the most difficult genera to sort out the species. DNA will help, but we still need to be able to see diffeerences between them; photographs, spawn and food will help sort that out I think. Doto coronata is the type species of the Genus Doto, so knowing which animal should bear this name is particularly important, especially if the genus needs to be split at some time in the future. I have one similar to this on the same hydroid, but will need to wait until I'm back at work next week to get the pictures. There are Doto on Obelia geniculata on kelp too, with bright pink spots. They might not be the same species.

Sarah Bowen Ah yes, I've got a Doto with bright pink spots from a dive up the Cleddau in Pembrokeshire. I'll dig it out later and post it, as I can't remember what it was found on (which won't necessarily be its food source if it's just out for a walk!)

Carissa Shipman Why do my comments keep disappearing on here?

Bernard Picton Carissa, there are three threads here on this specimen, photo, close-up and food. Also the thread with the most recent comment comes back up to the top so things don't stay in order. And the comments fold up so that only the most recent ones are showing until you click "View all x comments...". I see a comment from you on the full animal comments section, did you lose others?

Bernard Picton Also the search seems to work well - in Search this group (top RHS) enter Doto and hit return...

Christian Skauge I told you so :-) It works beautifully, and you can even combine search terms: Try 'doto erling' to see what he's been writing, and leave the others out ;-)