Southwest Florida Shells

by José H. Leal

Family Dendrodorididae

Dendrodoris warta

(Marcus & Gallagher, 1976)

Warty Dendrodoridid

Size to 120 Background color brown. Dorsum covered with beige, wart-like tubercles. Gray rhinophores and brown gill. Not a common species. The species is found in shallow water along the western coast of Florida and the coast of Georgia. The species is characterized by the prominent knob-like tubercles scattered over the slug's dorsal surface. The Warty Dendrodoridid is known to feed on encrusting sponges. Photos by Amy Tripp, Kice Island, Florida, February 2015.