Dorid from Galapagos Ids - Paradoris lopezi?

February 11, 2008
From: Roland Brookes

Hi
I took this photo on a recent trip to the Galapagos Islands. Could you tell me what it is? Is it a nudibranch? I have a nudibranch book by Debelius (Nudibranchs and Sea Snails Indo-Pacific field guide)and it looks similar in shape to a Halgerididae; in particular Asteronotus cespitosus (on page 259)although the colours and location are different.

Locality: Galapagos Islands, 15 meters, Gordon Rocks near Santa Cruz Is, Pacific Ocean, 17 November 2007, Steep wall dive . Length: approx. 10 cm. Photographer: Roland Brookes.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Roland

rolandbrookes@hotmil.co.uk

Brookes, R.C., 2008 (Feb 11) Dorid from Galapagos Ids - Paradoris lopezi?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21269

Dear Roland,

This is a spectacularly coloured dorid which from earlier messages to the Forum is not that uncommon in the Galapagos Ids. However as you will see from the earlier mesages, which are attached below, it seems to be unnamed.

However quite recently a small dorid was named from the Pacific coast of Mexico as Paradoris lopezi and I am beginning to wonder if it is a small example of the Galapagos animal? Paradoris lopezi was described from a few small animals, 30 mm long, so it is possible that it has yet to develop its brilliant orange red border. It has reddish tubecles on the back and traces of a red mantle border, and the rhinophore and gill pockets have raised sheaths like in the Galapagos animals. It also has the same pitted granular texture on the mantle skin which we find in species of Paradoris.

I may be quite wrong but I have moved all the earlier messages from the 'unidentified pages' and linked them, with yours, to a Paradoris cf. lopezi page. At present all the earlier records of this animal from the Galapagos Ids are lost amongst the unidentified species, so this is a way to again draw attention to this spectacular animal. As always, comments are welcome.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Feb 11). Comment on Dorid from Galapagos Ids - Paradoris lopezi? by Roland Brookes. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21269

Factsheet

Paradoris cf. lopezi

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