Аннотация:Doto coronata (Gmelin, 1971) is a well-known species of nudibranchs, feeding on hydroid polyps of the genus Obelia. It is known, that the individuals of Doto penetrate the stolon the polyp during feeding process and have a kind of drilling feeding mode. However, the feeding mechanism and the morphology of the buccal complex of this species have not been described before, which makes any comparison to other drilling nudibranchs and other drilling gastropods impossible.
In the present study we performed a detailed description of the general and fine morphology of the buccal complex using methods of light microscopy, SEM and TEM. The computer-based 3D-reconstruction of the buccal complex of D. coronata was constructed as well.
According to our data the buccal complex of Doto coronata is relatively small and takes less than one third of the head volume. The length of the buccal complex in the specimen 11mm long is about 270 µm. The length of the radular tooth is 7 µm in the specimen of length 7 mm. The jaws are quite thin and not visible without magnification. However, the buccal musculature and the buccal armature are well-developed and resemble the buccal structures found in Dendronotus frondosus (Ascanius, 1774), which belongs to the same superfamily Dendronotoidea.
The present study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, projects No. 18-34-00251 and 18-05-60158.