Pectenodoris aurora
Johnson & Gosliner, 1998

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

DISTRIBUTION

Philippines, Indonesia, Japan (Okinawa)

PHOTO

Pulau Tenggol, West Malaysia, 27 metres, 10mm long., March 2002. Photo: Mabel Fang

Background colour pinkish purple to blue, colour deepening towards the mantle edge. There are three broad opaque white longitudinal bands on the mantle, with a narrower yellowish line down the middle of each band. The bands may be broken and the central band forms a narrow ring around the gill pocket. In the midregion of the mantle between the white bands are a number of large diffuse dark purple or blue spots, and around the mantle edge are scattered smaller opaque white spots and sometimes dark blue or purple spots as well. There is a white median line on the poisterior foot. The rhinophore club is orange with a broad white median band, and the rhinophore stalk is translucent orange. The gills are similarly coloured - orange with a median white band. In anatomy it is very similar to the only other known member of the genus Pectenodoris trilineata. Grows to approx 8mm long.

Reference:
• Johnson, R.F. & Gosliner, T.M. (1998) The genus Pectenodoris (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) from the Indo-Pacific, with the description of a new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 50(12): 295-306.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (July 29) Pectenodoris aurora Johnson & Gosliner, 1998. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/pectauro

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