Dorididae

{{Short description|Family of gastropods}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Sea lemon | image = Doris odhneri.jpg | image_caption = A live individual of ''Doris odhneri'', head end towards the right | image2 = Yellow Dorid Makeout Session (Doris montereyensis).jpg | image2_caption = Mating ''Doris montereyensis'' | taxon = Dorididae | authority = Rafinesque, 1815 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = ''See text'' | synonyms = * Glossodorididae Thiele, 1929 }}

'''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 (up to 20 cm), rather flattened, and oval in shape when seen from above. They have two hornlike projections (rhinophores) 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. (See Ovidius, ''Metamorphoses'' 2.6)

==Genera== Genera within the family Dorididae include:<ref>Bouchet, P. (2010). [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=9904 Dorididae Rafinesque, 1815.] In: MolluscaBase (2016). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2016-12-04.</ref> * ''Aphelodoris'' (Bergh, 1879) * ''Artachaea'' Bergh, 1881 * ''Conualevia'' Collier & Farmer, 1964 * ''Doriopsis'' Bergh, 1889 * ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758  * ''Goslineria'' Valdés, 2001 * ''Homoiodoris'' Bergh, 1881: nomen dubium * ''Pharodoris'' Valdés, 2001 ;Genera brought into synonymy: * ''Anisodoris'' Bergh, 1898 : synonym of ''Diaulula'' (Discodorididae) * ''Anoplodoris'' P. Fischer, 1883 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Aporodoris'' Ihering, 1886 [synonym of ''Taringa'' in family Discodorididae] * ''Archidoris'' Bergh, 1878 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Austrodoris'' Odhner, 1926 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Ctenodoris'' Eliot, 1907 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Doridigitata'' d'Orbigny, 1839: synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Doriopsis'' Bergh, 1889: synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Doriorbis'' Kay & Young, 1969 :synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Etidoris'' Ihering, 1886 a: synonym of ''Thordisa'' Bergh, 1877 * ''Guyonia'' Risbec, 1928 :synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Neodoris'' Baba, 1938 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Praegliscita'' Burn, 1957 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Rhabdochila'' P. Fischer, 1883: synonym of ''Rostanga'' Bergh, 1879 * ''Siraius'' Marcus, 1955 : synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758 * ''Staurodoris'' Bergh, 1878: synonym of ''Doris'' Linnaeus, 1758

== References== {{Commons category|Dorididae}} {{Wikispecies}} {{Reflist}}

Category:Dorididae Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque