RADULAR VARIATION IN TWO SPECIES OF SPONGE-RASPING DORID NUDIBRANCHS

The damp live weight of specimens of Archidoris montereyensisand Anisodoris nobilis was found to be positively correlated( = 0.05) to the number of teeth per row, the number of rowsin the radula and the length of teeth. Covariance analyses ofthe regressions of the first two radular characteristics toweight failed to statistically separate the two species. Theseresults argue against the utility of radular information astaxonomic characters in sponge-rasping dorids. The increase in tooth size with increasing animal size was foundto be statistically divergent for these two species and wasinterpreted as being consistent with the feeding biology ofthese two species. (Received 10 March 1977;