Chromodoris rufomaculata
Pease, 1871
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Western Pacific.
PHOTO
A, Heron Is., Great Barrier Reef, Qld., Australia, 9m, December 1981, 30mm long alive. Photo: Bill Rudman.
B, SE end of Yule Detached Reef, Qld., Australia. Dec. 1982. 17mm long alive. Photo: I. Loch.
Note added 7 March 2005: see message #13260 suggesting this species may be synonymous with C. aureopurpurea, C. albopustulosa, and C. rufomaculata, which would give it a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution.
The mantle is white with three translucent patches doen each side of the mantle between the gills and the rhinophores. There is a violet border to the mantle which is broken into into a series of spots or short lines. There is also an indistinct creamy-yellow band inside the purple, and there are small orange-yellow spots all over the mantle. The rhinophore clubs are dark brown or purple with white edging and the gills are translucent white with white edging.
This is another of species collected by Andrew Garrett in Tahiti and sent to both Pease and Bergh, both of whom proceeded to describe the species independently as Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871 and Chromodoris histrio Bergh, 1877. It has recently been reported from Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia and I have found it also in New Caledonia.
Reference:
• Rudman, W.B. (1987) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris epicuria, C. aureopurpurea, C. annulata, C. coi and Risbecia tryoni colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 90: 305-407.
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (June 17) Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/chrorufo
Related messages
Chromodoris rufomaculata from sthn Queensland
September 4, 2009
From: Gary Cobb
Concerning message #13190:
Hi Bill and everyone!
Again at Old Woman Island we are finding more Nudibranchs. We have found Chromodoris rufomaculata a few times now and I thought I would update your records with some fresh photos.
Locality: Old Woman Island, Mudjimba, 10 m, Queensland Australia, Pacific Ocean, 22 August 2009, Subtidal. Length: 15-25 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb and David Mullins
Cheers
Gary
gary@nudibranch.com.au
Cobb, G.C., 2009 (Sep 4) Chromodoris rufomaculata from sthn Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22621
Thanks Gary,
Always good to get more photos of some of these rarely recorded species
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Chromodoris rufomaculata from the Marshall Islands
March 7, 2005
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
Attached are three typical Chromodoris rufomaculata from the Marshall Islands. At Enewetak and Kwajalein they live underneath dead coral rocks at depths of about 2 to 10 meters typically. Both of the similar species C. albopustulosa and C. alius are in the same areas, and they don't always seem too particular about whom they pair up with. I've seen C. rufomaculata and C. albopustulata mate in a captive situation. C. rufomaculata is the most common of the three at Enewetak.
Locality: Enewetak and Kwajalein Atolls. Marshall Islands, Pacific. Depth: 5 m. Length: 30 mm (e01), 35 mm (e15), 10 mm (k03). Under dead coral on subtidal reefs. Photographer: Scott Johnson
Scott
uwkwaj@yahoo.com
Dear Scott,
Thanks for this. After looking at your photos in this, and the accompanying messages, I am pretty convinced that C. rufomaculata and C. albopustulata are forms of the same species. Your record of them cross-mating is, at least in my mind, fairly irrefutable evidence. It looks as though 'C. rufomaculata' is a form in which the white pigmentation on the mantle predominates, while in the 'C. albopustulata' form the white pigmentation is restricted to white spots scattered over the mantle. As I discuss in a separate message[#13260 ] it would seem that C. rufomaculata, C. albopustulata, C. alius and C. aureopunctata are all colour forms of the same species
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Original illustration of Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease 1871
March 7, 2005
From: Bill Rudman
Here is another message concerning the white and purple-spotted chromodorids described from Hawaii by Pease and Garrett. In this one I post the original illustration of Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease, 1871 : Plate 8, fig 1.
The original description included the following colour information:
Colour cream white, passing into cream yellow towards the margins, which are ornamented with a series of oblong violet spots. The central portion of the mantle is studded with numerous slightly elevated orange dots. Branchiae colourless, tentacles chocolate brown, laminae white.
Under surface colorless, with the exception of a light tinge of the dorsal colours, which are transmitted through the pellucid mantle.
The actual type locality of this species is 'Huaheine Ids, Society Ids" .
- Pease, W. H. 1871. Descriptions of new species of nudibranchiate Mollusca inhabiting Polynesia. No. 2. American Journal of Conchology 7(1): 11-19, pls. 3-9.
Bill Rudman
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Mar 7) Original illustration of Chromodoris rufomaculata Pease 1871. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13231Chromodoris rufomaculata?
June 18, 2000
From: Erwin Koehler
Dear Bill,
This one is from the Philippines, Negros Oriental Is., divesite "Sibulan housereef",
March 2000, depth 6 m, size approx 1.5 cm. This photo is by Fred Vogt.
Erwin
Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de
Koehler, E., 2000 (Jun 18) Chromodoris rufomaculata?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2575Dear Erwin,
Although the photo is a bit overexposed to show the small yellow spots, I am pretty sure this is Chromodoris rufomaculata, which I have just added to the Forum.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
