unidentified Indian Ocean Chromodoris
November 30, 1998
From: Nathalie Yonow
Hallo Bill
Any ideas on the attached chromodorid. It is from the central Indian Ocean; the radula formula is 52 x >62.0.62, although the median thickening is distinct. The teeth have the same shape as C. leopardus.
I didn't see the animal alive, and I am working from a print. Basically, there are dark brown patches with darker spots, and a ring of orange spots around the submargin, The gills and rhinophores are white tipped with purple.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Dr Nathalie Yonow
N.Yonow@swansea.ac.uk
Yonow, N., 1998 (Nov 30) unidentified Indian Ocean Chromodoris. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/346Dear Nathalie,
I'm afraid the photo doesn't ring any bells. It is possibly a dark form of a described species, but whatever it is it won't do any of us any favours to name it as the colour has lost something in the photography.
It is clearly one of the wide mantled species with a dark purple edge and perhaps underside at least at the front. It could perhaps be C. leopardus as you hint or equally a dark form of Chromodoris glenei or even Chromodoris geminus.
I think it is best to treat it as one that got away!
Cheers,
Bill Rudman.
