Dendrodoris fumata
(Ruppell & Leuckart, 1831)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Dendrodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Tropical to warm temperate Indo-West Pacific.

PHOTO

TO RIGHT:
A. 99mm long, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, June 1987, (C153598)
B. 32mm long, White Horse Point, Balmain, Sydney, April 1981, (C127569).
C. 58mm long, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, February 1985, (C145117).
D. 27mm long juvenile, White Horse Point, Balmain, Sydney, April 1981, (C127569).
LOWER PHOTOS:
E. 39mm long, Koumac, New Caledonia, October 1993, (C200506)
F. 48mm long, Koumac, New Caledonia, October 1993, (C200449).
G.33mm long, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, June 1987, (C153616).
H. 35mm long, North Coast New South Wales, March 1982, (C132943)
I. 8mm long juvenile, Noumea, New Caledonia, October 1988, (C156674).
J. 48mm long, under stones, Breakwater near wharf, Zanzibar, Tanzania, July 1971.
PHOTOS: BILL RUDMAN.

This species and Dendrodoris nigra both have a similar range of colour forms, often red, pink, or reddish orange when juvenile, but black when adult. It is difficult to correctly identify all the published references to these two species. The differences between the two species is discussed under Dendrodoris nigra. Two external features of Dendrodoris fumata which seem to be absent from Dendrodoris nigra are the 5 or 6 large branching gills which often spread from one side of the mantle to the other, and the small papillae on the skin of the mantle, which are usually black (Photos H,I). Sometimes these papillae are only slightly raised but in other specimens they can be quite long (1-2mm). Dendrodoris fumata often has large blackish patches on a lighter background, but unfortunately this is not exclusive to this species.

Reference:
• Ruppell, W.P.E.S. & Leuckart, F.S. (1831 for 1828). Mollusca. In Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika von Eduard Rüppell Zool. Neue wirbellose Thiere des Rothen Meers: 15-47, pls. 1-12

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (August 16) Dendrodoris fumata (Ruppell & Leuckart, 1831). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/dendfuma

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