REVIEW OF THE GENUS DENDRODORIS EHRENBERG, 1831 (GASTROPODA: NUDIBRANCHIA) IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

Six valid species of the nudibranch genus Dendrodons Ehrenberg,1831 inhabit the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterraneanand Caribbean Seas. Dendrodons lumbata (Cuvier, 1804), Dendrodonsgrandiflora (Rapp, 1827), Dendrodons nigra (Stimpson, 1855)(immigrant from the Red Sea), Dendrodons krebsu (Mörch,1863), Dendrodoru senegalensis Bouchet, 1975 and Dendrodonswarta Marcus & Gallagher, 1976. Additional data about thebiology and geographical distribution of these species are presented.New evidence suggests that other species assigned to the genusDendrodons, Dendrodons racemosa Pruvot-Fol, 1951 and Dendrodonsminima Pruvot-Fol, 1951, must be included in the genus DoriopsillaBergh, 1880. Three new species of Dendrodoris are describedfrom the Northeastern Atlantic and West Africa;Dendrodons angolensis,Dendrodoris guineana and Dendrodons herytra. The variable external morphology makes species recognition difficult.Instead, the diagnostic characters utilised to separate speciesare the shape of the male cirrus hooks, the structure of thereproductive system and features of the egg-mass. (Received 25 April 1995; accepted 1 August 1995)