Chromodoris geminus from the Red Sea

June 5, 2008
From: Kamal El Tawil

Concerning message #18575:

Dear Bill,

I found this Chromodoris geminus on a red sponge like background which is similar to the one on the oyster's shell in message #18575.
Possibly feeding on it ?

Locality: Elphinstone Reef, 17 metres, Egypt, Red Sea, 27 May 2008. Length: 50 mm. Photographer: Kamal El Tawil.

Best regards,
Kamal
www.coralworld.net

kamal@coralworld.net

El Tawil, K., 2008 (Jun 5) Chromodoris geminus from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21626

Dear Kamal,

Thanks for the photos. The pink-red background is a red algae which forms a calcareous layer over hard surfaces. They are often called 'coralline algae'. Close relatives form bushy plants but because they have a solid calcareous 'skin' the stalks or leaves are broken up into small segments - like a suit of armour- so they can move in the water current. The pink-red background in the earlier message is also calcareous red algae. I suspect C. geminus feeds on a dark blue to red-purple sponge called Chelonaplysilla violacea but I could be wrong. I have included a close-up [middle right photo] which seems to show some patches of a dark brownish purple sponge, which could be Chelonaplysilla, but it could also just be my imagination.  

In the close-up [lower right photo ] there are a number of opaque whitish patches under the yellow band. These are most likely the mantle glands. In other species of Chromodoris these glands are usually more ramifying and usually close to the mantle edge, so it is possible that future research will show that this species, and a few others, should not remain in the genus Chromodoris.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Jun 5). Comment on Chromodoris geminus from the Red Sea by Kamal El Tawil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21626

Factsheet

Chromodoris geminus

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