Chromodoris lekker
Gosliner, 1994

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

DISTRIBUTION

Western Indian Ocean - Natal (South Africa), Madagascar, Reunion, Seychelles.

PHOTO

Etang-Salé, Cote Rocheuse, 0.50 m, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, 1 December 2006. Length: 35 mm. Photographer: Hugues Flodrops.

Chromodoris lekkeri is described as having an opaque white band at the mantle edge, then an orange band and then a purplish white band on which there are dark purple spots. In the one known specimen from Natal, South Africa, there were also purple spots on the orange band. Photos on the Forum have given us a fuller picture of colour variation in the species. As well as the opaque whitish mottling on the mantle ther can alsobe fine white specks. The red-purple spots on the orange border can be absent, and in at least one case the purple spots on the inside of the orange border can be replaced by purple spots on the outside edge.

• Gosliner, T.M. (1981) Nudibranchs of Southern Africa. Chromodoris sp 4., p.77.
• Gosliner, T.M. (1994) New species of Chromodoris and Noumea (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) from the western Indian Ocean and southern Africa. Proceedings of the Californian Academy of Sciences, 48(12): 239-252.

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