The Anatomy of Respiratory Structures in the Dorid Nudibranchs, Onchidoris Bilamellata and Archidoris Pseudoargus, With Details Of The Epidermal Glands

Abstract

The respiratory function of the naked body of sea slugs (Opisthobranchia) has long been recognized. The gross anatomy of the gills of dorid nudibranchs was first published by Hancock & Embleton (1852) and was later revised and corrected by Eliot in 1910 in his supplement to the Ray Society monograph by Alder & Hancock (1845–55). Herdman (1890) and Rao (1936) give histological details, but do not seriously add to the understanding of the function of dorid gills or their circulation system. While the gill ciliation of bivalves (Atkins, 1938) and prosobranchs (Yonge, 1947) has been thoroughly examined this is not so in dorid nudibranchs and only the ciliation of the notaspid Pleurobranchus membranaceus has been described in any detail (Thompson & Slinn, 1959; Thompson, 1976) and the dorsal mantle of some dorids (Kress, 1981). Much of the general anatomy of opisthobranchs is reviewed by Hoffman (1939).