Mexichromis mariei
(Crosse, 1872)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Western Pacific and perhaps Indian Ocean.

PHOTO

UPPER: Nightcliff Reef, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, June 1986. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.
LOWER: Malaysia, 1988. PHOTO: Ho Soo Lin

Originally described from New Caledonia, Mexichromis mariei seems to be characterised by the tendency to form reddish purple-tipped rounded papillae on its back. The background colour ranges from translucent white or purple to a deep cream yellow. The mantle border usually consists of a row of orange or yellow spots, but can sometimes be a continuous band. It is similar in colour to Mexichromis festiva but the radular teeth of Mexichromis festiva have many more denticles, and the purple spots are not noticeably raised. I initially (Rudman, 1973, 1983) identified animals from the western Indian Ocean with Mexichromis mariei, but perhaps that species should be considered a distinct species. I have posted it here as Mexichromis cf. mariei. It seems to be consistently different in having bluish purple rather than reddish purple spots. Another species with dorsal papillae, Mexichromis macropus, differs in radular morphology and in having a border of radially arranged orange or yellow lines. See also Mexichromis cf. multituberculata which varies in the colour border and has pointed wine-red tipped tubercles.

References:
• Rudman, W.B. (1973) Chromodorid opisthobranch Mollusca from the Indo-West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 52(3): 175-199, 7 figs, 2 col. pl.
• Rudman, W.B. (1983) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris splendida, C. aspersa and Hypselodoris placida colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 78: 105-173.
• Rudman, W.B. (1984) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 81: 115-273.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 16) Mexichromis mariei (Crosse, 1872). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/meximari

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