Chromodoris mandapamensis
Valdés, Mollo & Ortea, 1999

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

PHOTO

Mandapam, Tamil Nadu, India, May 1998, 30 mm long preserved. Photo: E. Mollo.

RELATED TOPIC

C. mandapamensis - anatomy

This species is characterized by having a cream to pale gray background color, with the entire dorsum densely covered with numerous, rounded dark brown spots. These spots appear to be diffuse in the mantle edge. A broken line of bright orange spots edges the mantle margin. There are several, ramified, subepidermical matle glands around the mantle margin. The rhinophore stalks are cream with several dark brown spots. The clubs are brown, with white edged lamellae. The apexes are reddish with white tips. The perfoliate rhinophores are composed of 17 lamellae. The gill consists of seven large, bipinnate branchial leaves. The leaves are pale brown with numerous, small opaque white dots scattered all over the surface, and large brown spots near the base of the leaves.

The name of this species is derived from Mandapam, the type locality. So far, it is only known from Mandapam (Tamil Nadu) and Muttom (Kerala), southern India.

Reference:
• Valdés, A., Mollo, E. & Ortea, J. (1999) Two new species of Chromodoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Chromodorididae) from Southern India, with a redescription of Chromodoris trimarginata (Winckworth, 1946). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 51: 461-472.

NOTE: This species may be a colour form of C. striatella. See my discussion on the C. striatella - spotted form Page. See photo of intermediate colour form. - W.B.Rudman.

Authorship details
Valdes, A., 2000 (July 23) Chromodoris mandapamensis Valdés, Mollo & Ortea, 1999. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chromand

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