Chromodoris rufomaculata
Pease, 1871

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

DISTRIBUTION

Western Pacific.

PHOTO

A, Heron Is., Great Barrier Reef, Qld., Australia, 9m, December 1981, 30mm long alive. Photo: Bill Rudman.
B, SE end of Yule Detached Reef, Qld., Australia. Dec. 1982. 17mm long alive. Photo: I. Loch.

Note added 7 March 2005: see message #13260 suggesting this species may be synonymous with C. aureopurpurea, C. albopustulosa, and C. rufomaculata, which would give it a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution.

The mantle is white with three translucent patches doen each side of the mantle between the gills and the rhinophores. There is a violet border to the mantle which is broken into into a series of spots or short lines. There is also an indistinct creamy-yellow band inside the purple, and there are small orange-yellow spots all over the mantle. The rhinophore clubs are dark brown or purple with white edging and the gills are translucent white with white edging.

This is another of species collected by Andrew Garrett in Tahiti and sent to both Pease and Bergh, both of whom proceeded to describe the species independently as Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871 and Chromodoris histrio Bergh, 1877. It has recently been reported from Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia and I have found it also in New Caledonia.

Reference:
• Rudman, W.B. (1987) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris epicuria, C. aureopurpurea, C. annulata, C. coi and Risbecia tryoni colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 90: 305-407.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (June 17) Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chrorufo

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