Chromodoris annulata
Eliot, 1904

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Indian Ocean. One record from eastern Pacific.

PHOTO

UPPER: Sewer Pipe, North Head, entrance to harbour, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, September 1974. (Grows to 100mm long). PHOTO: Bill Rudman.
LOWER: Phi Phi Is., Southern Thailand, 7-15m, November 1989. PHOTO: D.J.Brunckhorst

This brilliantly coloured chromodorid is relatively common in East Africa and occurs as far east as Thailand. There is a characteristic purple ring around the gills and the rhinophores.

Compare with the very similarly coloured Risbecia ghardaqana and Risbecia pulchella, which occur with it in the Red Sea, and Risbecia imperialis which is found in the western Pacific. [See message on this topic].

There is one record of this species from the Gulf of California (Bertsch & Kerstitch, 1984). Any further records of this species outside the Indian Ocean would be very welcome as its apparent absence from the western Pacific would suggest the eastern Pacific record may have been with human assistance.

References:
• Gohar, H. A. F., & I. A. Aboul-Ela. 1957a. The development of three chromodorids (with the description of a new species). Publications of the Marine Biological Station, Al-Ghardaqa, Egypt, 9: 203-228, pls. 1-5.
• Rudman, W.B. (1973). Chromodorid opisthobranch Mollusca from the Indo-West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 52(3): 175-199.
• 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., 1999 (April 11) Chromodoris annulata Eliot, 1904. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chroannu

Related messages

  1. Re: Chromodoris annulata colour form from the Persian Gulf
    From: Lawrence Neal, May 4, 2010
  2. Chromodoris annulata colour form from Persian Gulf
    From: Mahdi Moradi Och Tapeh, May 3, 2010
  3. Chromodoris annulata from Larak Island, Iran
    From: Mahdi Moradi Och Tapeh, May 3, 2010
  4. Re: Chromodoris annulata from Mediterranean coast of Israel
    From: Louis Tisakkiros, May 3, 2010
  5. Chromodoris annulata from Mediterranean coast of Israel
    From: Yoav Lavi, October 5, 2009
  6. Re: Chromodoris annulata from Gulf of Oman
    From: William Messruther, September 22, 2008
  7. Re: Chromodoris annulata from Red Sea & Persian Gulf
    From: William Messruther, September 18, 2008
  8. Spotless Chromodoris annulata from Thailand
    From: Hans van Rijn, November 27, 2007
  9. Chromodoris annulata from the Red Sea
    From: Kamal El Tawil, October 4, 2007
  10. Chromodoris annulata from the Egyptian Red Sea
    From: Eddy Mannak, August 4, 2007
  11. Re: Chromodoris annulata from Thailand
    From: Asther Lau, November 28, 2006
  12. Damaged? Chromodoris annulata
    From: Kamal El Tawil, June 21, 2006
  13. Chromodoris annulata ? from Bahrain
    From: Michael Arora, December 16, 2005
  14. Juvenile Chromodoris annulata ?
    From: Oren Lederman, October 20, 2005
  15. Re: Chromodoris annulata - colour markings
    From: Iain Macdonald, January 27, 2005
  16. Chromodoris annulata from the Egyptian Red Sea
    From: Michael Mrutzel, January 3, 2005
  17. Re: Chromodoris annulata - colour markings
    From: Iain Andrew Macdonald, December 31, 2004
  18. Chromodoris annulata - colour markings
    From: Dr. Iain Andrew Macdonald, December 30, 2004
  19. Chromodoris annulata - population, natural history
    From: Kathrin Lüttmann, June 2, 2003
  20. Chromodoris annulata from the Red Sea
    From: Ilan Ben Tov, May 9, 2003
  21. Chromodoris annulata from Burma (Myanmar)
    From: Orhan Aytur, April 1, 2003
  22. What does Chromodoris annulata eat?
    From: Gabriella Titone, March 28, 2003
  23. Chromodoris annulata & egg ribbon from Burma
    From: Mary Jane Adams, March 27, 2003
  24. Spotless Chromodoris annulata from Myanmar
    From: Mary Jane Adams, March 27, 2003
  25. Re: Magnificent spotless Chromodoris annulata
    From: Hans Tibboel, February 24, 2003
  26. Magnificent spotless Chromodoris annulata
    From: Danny Van Belle, February 14, 2003
  27. Special Chromodoris annulata
    From: Danny Van Belle, February 11, 2003
  28. Chromodoris annulata from Thailand
    From: Danny Van Belle, February 6, 2003
  29. Chromodoris annulata from Abu Dhabi
    From: Peter Hardy , July 17, 2002
  30. Re: Chromodoris annulata from United Arab Emirates
    From: Melinda Barry, June 7, 2002
  31. Chromodoris annulata from United Arab Emirates
    From: Melinda Barry, June 6, 2002
  32. Chromodoris annulata from the Red Sea
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia , April 18, 2002
  33. Chromodoris annulata from Abu Dhabi
    From: Peter Hardy, May 15, 2001
  34. Chromodoris annulata - colour variation
    From: Gordon T. Smith, January 25, 2001
  35. Chromodoris annulata from Red Sea & Persian Gulf
    From: Gordon T. Smith, November 1, 2000
  36. Can nudibranchs breath air?
    From: Valda Fraser, September 2, 2000
  37. Risbecia imperialis & Chromodoris annulata
    From: Bill Rudman, April 11, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages