This species' gills are arranged in a more or less straight line across the back, like those of its relative, the smaller blue Doris pecten. We have found at least 12 specimens, all at Kwajalein, ranging in length up to about 20mm. They live along lagoon reefs under rocks at depths of 5 to 10m. WORMS and Molluscabase both list this in the genus Doriopsis along with D. pecten. However both sources list the very similar Doris viridis as a Doris. Until the situation is straightened out, we will follow Gosliner et al (2018) and stick with Doris for all three species.
Often when you find this species, it has sand grains adhering to its back.
On a shallow lagoon reef at Kwajalein on 22 February 2009, the egg mass below was observed under a rock. The Doris granulosa was on the same rock, about 15cm away. It was coaxed over to the egg mass for the photos below. While we cannot be certain this nudibranch was responsible for those eggs--after all, the mass seems rather large for that small nudibranch--it was the only nudibranch we could find in the vicinity and the color matches quite well.
The next one was about half the length of the one above, and it too was under a rock next to a much smaller yellow egg mass. Again, no guarantees this animal is responsible for those eggs, but it seemed rather likely.
Created 15 December 2006
Updated 29 September 2023