Abstract
Mantle surfaces of the dorid nudibranchs Rostanga arbutus and Jorunna sp. were examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and two specialized structures are described. These are caryophyllidia and mantle rim organs; the latter being described for the first time. Caryophyllidia occur in large numbers (several thousand) uniformly distributed over the entire upper surface, while the mantle rim organs, numbering only 40 to 60, are restricted to the upper mantle margin. Caryophyllidia are minute (40 to 50 μm diam), erect tubercles supported internally by 4 to 7, vertical, calcareous spicules which emerge in a crown surrounding an apical knob. Caryophyllidia display a high level of spicular organization and incorporate a complex muscle system at their base. The apical knob is formed from specialized epidermis capping a sub-epithelial ganglion. The highly organized structure of the caryophyllidium indicates its potential importance as a new character in dorid taxonomy and phylogeny. Mantle rim organs (80 to 300 μm diam) contain large numbers of vacuolated cells and cells containing pellet-shaped nodules.
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Communicated by G. F. Humphrey, Sydney
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Foale, S.J., Willan, R.C. Scanning and transmission electron microscope study of specialized mantle structures in dorid nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia: Anthobranchia). Mar. Biol. 95, 547–557 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393098
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393098