Glossodoris sp. 8.
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae
PHOTO
South coast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
UPPER: near Port Shepstone - 32m. Dec 1999. Size: 48mm. See message 1. LOWER: Aliwal Shoal, Umkomaas - 15m, 20mm. See message 2. PHOTOS: Valda Fraser.
Until Valda Fraser's second message I had considered two white-spotted species she had sent photos of to be one species, which I called Glossodoris sp. 7.. After that I decided to split the two and have moved one of the colour forms to Glossodoris sp. 8. Without any anatomical information the placing of both in the genus Glossodoris is of course provisional. The main points of colour difference is that in Glossodoris sp. 7 the gills are white and the rhinophore clubs are very dark grey, while in Glossodoris sp. 8 the tip of the gills is edged in a dark brown and the upper half of the rhinophore clubs are also brownish, the basal half fading to translucent white. In Glossodoris sp. 7 the white spots on the mantle are distinctly raised rounded tubercles while in Glossodoris sp. 8 they are crowded and irregular, often elongate, in shape and also occur on the foot. In Glossodoris sp. 7 the foot seems to be auniform translucent white.
These species have similarities to two other white spotted species from South Africa, in the Forum: Glossodoris undaurum and Glossodoris cf tomsmithi, but there are differences in mantle colour, and in the colour of the gills and rhinophores.
See also Valda Fraser's message.
Authorship detailsRudman, W.B., 2000 (May 27) Glossodoris sp. 8. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/glossp8
