Chromodoris marislae
Bertsch, 1973

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Central and southern Gulf of California

PHOTO

8 meters at San Carlos on the Mexican mainland side of the Sea of Cortez. 50mm long. Photo: Scott Johnson

Off-white body with 2 or 3 irregular rows of orange spots along the edge of the notum. Spots increasing in size and irregularity from outer to inner row. An additional row of orange circles/ovals is present just anterior to the rhinophores along the body just lateral to the mid dorsal region, each orange marking being banded by a conspicuous white line. Mantle covered in low, closely spaced tubercles. Distal portion of the rhinophores a light brown with a prominent medium white longitudinal septum on both anterior and posterior faces. See my discussion below about whether this could be a species of Tyrinna.

[Nomenclatural Note: The publication cited below in which this species is described has multiple authors but the description of this species is entitled 'Chromodoris marislae, Bertsch, spec. nov.' indicating that Bertsch is the sole author of the name. A full citing of the name would be 'Chromodoris marislae Bertsch in Bertsch, Ferreira, Farmer & Hayes, 1973.]

Reference:
• Bertsch, H., Ferreira, A.J., Farmer, W.M. & Hayes, T.L. (1973) The genera Chromodoris and Felimida (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) in tropical west America: distributional data, description of a new species, and scanning electron microscopic studies of radulae. The Veliger, 15(4): 287-294.
• Bertsch, H. (1978). The Chromodoridinae Nudibranchs from the Pacific Coast of America – Part II. The genus Chromodoris. The Veliger, 20 (4): 307-327.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (October 14) Chromodoris marislae Bertsch, 1973. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chromari

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