Doto paulinae

Egidio Trainito Found in western Mediterranean (Sardinia), does anybody suggest an ID? Doesn't match with any of the mediterranean species. Too small (3 mm) to be photographed in his environment (a buoy just under the surface, with many others) and therefore his diet.

Bernard Picton Lovely photo, Egidio! Have you checked all of the Trinchese species, and do you know all of them in the field? The extra large tubercles at the tips of the cerata in this one are quite a distinctive feature.

Egidio Trainito Yes, Bernard, not all in the field, but could not find a match. I think I have found Doto paulinae, never found Doto rosea (to which have been synonimized aurea and cinerea) and D.cuspidata (to which have been synonimized costae, corneliae and splendida). The one in the photo doesn't look like rosea nor cuspidata. I have some five or six species that look new!! but nobody to study them!! What about the photos I've sent you some time ago?

Lucas CerCur Doto spp: a very big mess.

Bernard Picton I would ignore ALL those synonymies Egidio and go back to look at the original descriptions. Doto cuspidata is a northern Atlantic species and almost certainly does not occur in the Mediterranean at all. I am not familiar with the Mediterranean species (by seeing them alive under a microscope) so would not hazard a guess at the species names. There is a big project, like Lemche did for Doto in the NE Atlantic, which needs to be done for the Mediterranean. Do keep photographing them and make sure you get a sample of the hydroid they are on too. Carissa has got some good DNA results now for the Lemche species so we can make fast progress with the right approach.

Egidio Trainito Thank you Bernard Picton I will go on taking pictures and preserving samples, if anybody is willing to go deeper they are at disposal. I am trying to go back to original descriptions (I have them) but it is not simple and not so affordable.

Bernard Picton Taxonomy is a slow science, I'm afraid. Lemche split Doto coronata in his 1976 paper and we are still investigating those species in the NE Atlantic. Slowly we edge towards a better understanding, but this is why it is hard to get science funding for taxonomic projects, it takes many years to gather the observations and specimens. DNA is only part of the solution, as when it reveals unexpected relationships or new species we then need to go back into the field to build up a picture of each of the species, how to recognise it, how it varies, where it is found and what it feeds on.

Ingrid Thea Ølberg So Bernard... What you are saying is that we need MORE fun gatherings where we can nerd about nudies.. not just at Gulen, but elsewere also??

Carissa Shipman This species looks different than even the ones I have photos of from Sardinia Italy that are new species!

Carissa Shipman Actually I lied, We have some of this species at the Academy and I have some photos!

Carissa Shipman Anyone want to pay me to study the Dotidae for the rest of my life? jk

Lucas CerCur Do you promise us to finish and solve all about Doto? jk

João Pedro Silva "The ultimate question about Life, the Universe... and Doto" :)

Ian Smith 42.0 (42 dot 0)