Chromodoris preciosa
(Kelaart, 1858)

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

DISTRIBUTION

Indo-West Pacific

PHOTO

UPPER RIGHT: Îlot Freycinet, Nouméa, 1m, 23 October 1988, NC083, AM C156678 New Caledonia
LOWER: A,Darwin, NT, June 1987, C153619. B, Koumac Beach (=Baie de Ouanap), near Koumac, New Caledonia, 20°34'S, 164°16'E, mixed soft and hard substrate, grassbeds, algae, October 1993, 2 specimens (10 & 27mm long alive), AM C200602. C, Lagoon between mainland and Récif de l'Infernet, off Koumac, New Caledonia, 20°34.4'S, 164°13'E, 12m, silty bottom with dense gorgonian beds, 18 October 1993, 2 specimens (15 & 18mm long alive), AM C200520.

This species was described by Kelaart (1858), from Ceylon. There are a number of chromodorid species which are essentially white with yellow and red bands at the mantle edge which, for ease of comparison, I have previously called the C. verrieri - colour group (Rudman, 1985). [When I have pages for the other species completed I will add a page comparing the species in the group]

C. preciosa has three colour bands at the mantle edge - a thin white band at the edge, then a band of deep red, and inside that, a band of yellow. The mantle ranges in background colour from a uniform white (A) to animals in which the white pigment forms irregular patches on a translucent white background (B). Sometimes the translucent patches can be distinctly reddish. Some specimens can also have small brownish spots scattered all over the central part of the mantle (C). In these spotted specimens the inner yellow band is often broken into a series of yellow streaks. In all cases the gills and rhinophore clubs are translucent red with pigmented white edging to the lamellae. This is common both intertidally and subtidally under rocks in New Caledonia.

Reference:
•Rudman, W.B. (1985) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris aureomarginata, C. verrieri and C. fidelis colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 83: 241-299.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (July 2) Chromodoris preciosa (Kelaart, 1858). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chroprec

Related messages

  1. Chromodoris preciosa from Indonrsia
    From: Erwin Kodiat, December 20, 2006
  2. Chromodoris preciosa from Indonesia
    From: Carl Scott, June 10, 2005
  3. Chromodoris preciosa from Malapascua, The Philippines
    From: Paul Osmond, February 1, 2005
  4. Chromodoris preciosa from the Philippines
    From: Erwin Koehler, August 22, 2003
  5. Chromodoris preciosa from Papua New Guinea
    From: Marli Wakeling, September 30, 2001
  6. Chromodoris preciosa from Tonga
    From: Don Barclay, May 3, 2001
  7. Chromodoris preciosa from Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, January 2, 2001
  8. Chromodoris daphne? from Papua New Guinea
    From: Mary Jane Adams, September 4, 2000
  9. Chromodoris preciosa from Vanuatu
    From: Vinka Stenhouse, July 5, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages