Paradoris cf. lopezi

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

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from the Galapagos Ids

PHOTO

Locality: Galapagos Islands, 15 meters, Gordon Rocks near Santa Cruz Is, Pacific Ocean, 17 November 2007, Steep wall dive . Length: approx. 10 cm. Photographer: Roland Brookes.

This is a spectacularly coloured dorid which from earlier messages to the Forum is not that uncommon in the Galapagos Ids. However as you will see from the earlier mesages, which are attached below, it seems to be unnamed.

However quite recently a small dorid was named from the Pacific coast of Mexico as Paradoris lopezi and I am beginning to wonder if it is a small example of the Galapagos animal? Paradoris lopezi was described from a few small animals, 30 mm long, so it is possible that it has yet to develop its brilliant orange red border. It has reddish tubercles on the back and traces of a red mantle border, and the rhinophore and gill pockets have raised sheaths like in the Galapagos animals. It also has the same pitted granular texture on the mantle skin which we find in species of Paradoris.

I may be wrong, but at least raising the possibility that this is the adult form of P. lopezi may draw attention again to this spectacular animal. As always, comments are welcome.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2008 (February 11) Paradoris cf. lopezi [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/paracflope

Related messages

  1. Dorid from Galapagos Ids - Paradoris lopezi?
    From: Roland Brookes, February 11, 2008
  2. Unidentified dorid from the Galapagos Ids
    From: Fontaine Denton, October 9, 2007
  3. Dorid? from Galapagos Islands
    From: Joshua Feingold, July 24, 2007
  4. Re: Nudibranch? from the Galapagos Ids
    From: Angel Chiriboga, August 16, 2003
  5. Nudibranch? from the Galapagos Ids
    From: Angel Chiriboga, August 15, 2003

Show factsheet and all related messages