Dorididae


Sea lemon is a loosely applied common name for a group of medium-sized to large shell-less colorful sea slugs or nudibranchs, specifically dorid nudibranchs in the taxonomic family Dorididae and other closely related families. These are marine gastropod mollusks.
The Monterey sea lemon is Doris montereyensis and the mottled pale sea lemon is Diaulula lentiginosa.
The common name sea lemon probably comes from these animal's visual similarity to a lemon based on such qualities as the roughened skin, the oval form when seen from above, and the common but not inevitable orange to pale yellow coloration.

Description

These dorid nudibranchs can be large, rather flattened, and oval in shape when seen from above. They have two hornlike projections on the head, and a rosette-like tuft of gills on the back of the animal. The mantle is sometimes sprinkled with black dots, and it is covered in small bumps, which are called tubercles.

Life habits

Sea lemons feed on sponges. They lay ribbons of white or yellow eggs.
Taxonomically the Dorididae is a family of several genera, the dorids named after the mythological ancient Greek sea nymph Doris.

Genera

Genera within the family Dorididae include:Aphelodoris Artachaea Bergh, 1881 Conualevia Collier & Farmer, 1964Doriopsis Bergh, 1889Doris Linnaeus, 1758Goslineria Valdés, 2001Homoiodoris Bergh, 1881: nomen dubiumPharodoris Valdés, 2001
;Genera brought into synonymy:Anisodoris Bergh, 1898 : synonym of Diaulula Anoplodoris P. Fischer, 1883 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Aporodoris Ihering, 1886 Archidoris Bergh, 1878 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Austrodoris Odhner, 1926 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Ctenodoris Eliot, 1907 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Doridigitata d'Orbigny, 1839: synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Doriopsis Bergh, 1889: synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Doriorbis Kay & Young, 1969 :synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Etidoris Ihering, 1886 a: synonym of Thordisa Bergh, 1877Guyonia Risbec, 1928 :synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Neodoris Baba, 1938 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Praegliscita Burn, 1957 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Rhabdochila P. Fischer, 1883: synonym of Rostanga Bergh, 1879Siraius Marcus, 1955 : synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758Staurodoris Bergh, 1878: synonym of Doris Linnaeus, 1758