Chromodoris charlottae
(Schroedl, 1999)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Red Sea.
PHOTO
Sharm el Sheikh - Anemone City, Egypt. Red Sea. Depth: 12 mtrs. Length: 35 mm. 6 May 2005. Coral / Sandy. Photographer: Mente Suzenaar
The mantle is a translucent purplish brown, usually with closely packed small orange spots, each ringed with dark brown. Also present are fewer, larger white spots, sometimes ringed with pale blue and sometimes with a yellow patch in the white. Around the mantle edge are a number of coloured bands. Right at the edge is a cream yellow band, then a black, then a bluish purple, and then an orange band. The orange band is more diffuse than the other bands, and is more irregular, most of its colour being derived from the underlying mantle glands which also lie under the purplish blue band. The underside of the mantle, the sides of the body and the foot are all pure white, except for the cream yellow, black and purplish blue bands at the mantle edge showing through from the dorsum.
The gills are quadrangular in cross-section, if somewhat inflated, and the outer face and lamellate sides are opaque white with some orane bown markings. The inner face of each gill is orange brown with a scattering of white spots. The rhinophores are translucent orange, with a white line up the anterior midline of the club, some white speckling on the sides of the club, and a blue tip.
Schroedl reports that the gills vibrate rhythmically, and photos on the Forum [message #13872] show the mantle flaps rythmically as well [see mantle flapping Fact Sheet]. It is reported to grow to 60 mm in length. In a separate message [#13868] I discuss why I consider this species is more appropriately placed in the genus Chromodoris.
This species was illustrated by Debelius (1997, p. 215, above: Chromodoris sp.), and by Yonow (1989: 296; pl. 10) Chromodoris indet. In Schroedl's description it is reported to grow to 60mm in length. Known on the Forum until 30 May 2005 as Glossodoris charlottae.
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Schroedl, M. (1999) Glossodoris charlottae, a new chromodorid nudibranch from the Red Sea (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Vita Marina, 46(3-4): 89-94.
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (May 30) Chromodoris charlottae (Schroedl, 1999). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/gloschar
Related messages
Chromodoris? charlottae from Eygpt
September 26, 2005
From: Kamal El Tawil
Dear Bill:
I found this nudibranch last week in the southern Egyptian Red Sea. Glossodoris or Chromodoris charlottae? in your may 30th, 2005 message [#13868] you were decisive: Chromodoris. maybe my pictures would be of help.
Locality: Shouna, Marsa Alam, Egypt. Red Sea. Depth: 15 meters. Length: 4 cms. 16 September 2005. Photographer: Kamal El Tawil
Best regards
Kamal
kt@tedata.net.eg
El Tawil, K., 2005 (Sep 26) Chromodoris? charlottae from Eygpt. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14843
Dear Kamal,
Thanks for these photos. I am afraid the external shape is often not a good indicator of genus, although some species such as Glossodoris atromarginata, have a very recognisable shape, easily identifiable as oe group of Glossodoris. The intersting thing about the early photos were that they showed mantle-flapping, a behaviour known only from some species of Chromodoris, which made me look at the description of the anatomy more closely. That's why I decided it was a Chromodoris rather than a Glossodoris. One thing you might add to your list of 'things to look out for' is the greenish yellow 'sponge' your animal is on. I am not even sure it's a sponge but on the offchance that it is, could you look out next time you see this species to see if the same 'sponge' is nearby, or of closer 'interest' to the slug.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Correct generic placement of Glossodoris charlottae
May 30, 2005
From: Bill Rudman
I have just posted two messages from Mente Suzenaar [#13872, #13912] concerning a chromodorid from the Red Sea, which was described as Glossodoris charlottae Schroedl,1999. They show the external features very well and in one message [#13872] the animal is shown to a chromodorid that flaps it whole mantle up and down [see mantle flapping Fact Sheet]. This behaviour is exhibited by a small group of the genus Chromodoris, including C. kuniei and C. geminus. To my knowledge no species of Glossodoris exhibited this behaviour so I thought I should look at the evidence for placing this species in Glossodoris rather than Chromodoris.
Schroedl considered the undulating edge to the mantle, and the 4-sided gills to be two external features characteristic of Glossodoris. However the edge of the mantle in G. charlottae is not noticeably folded, and 4-sided gills are not to Glossodoris, for example, Chromodoris tinctoria has similar folds to the mantle edge, and 4-sided gills. The radular formula 58 x 57.1.57 is not typical of the narrow radula of most Glossodoris, but is typical of species of Chromodoris. It is true that some species at present placed in Glossodoris have a broad radula ribbon, but they all have a long narrow vaginal duct, quite different from the relatively short wide muscular duct of species of Chromodoris. From Schroedl's drawings of the reproductive system of G. charlottae, the vaginal duct is short and relatively thick, as in species of Chromodoris.
Schroedl also reported that the gills waved rythmically and considered that further evidence for placing the species in Glossodoris, but although most species of Glossodoris have vibratiloe gills, it is not a character exclusive to that genus and there are some species of Chromodoris, such as Chromodoris annulata and C. vibrata, with vibratile gills.
I consider this species to be more appropriately placed in the genus Chromodoris. Thanks Mente, without your photos showing mantle flapping, I would not checked this out.
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Schroedl, M. (1999) Glossodoris charlottae, a new chromodorid nudibranch from the Red Sea (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Vita Marina, 46(3-4): 89-94.
Mantle - flapping in Chromodoris charlottae
May 30, 2005
From: Bill Rudman
Mente Suzenaar's message [#13912] concerning Glossodoris charlottae from Sharm el Sheikh, Red Sea, contained two other photos which I am posting separately because they show that this species flaps its mantle [see mantle flapping Fact Sheet] a behaviour restricted to a small group of species of the genus Chromodoris. In a separate message [#13868] I give reasons showing that this is a species of Chromodoris rather than Glossodoris.
Locality: Sharm el Sheikh - Anemone City, Egypt. Red Sea. Depth: 12 mtrs. Length: 35 mm. 6 May 2005. Coral / Sandy. Photographer: Mente Suzenaar
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Glossodoris charlottae from Red Sea
February 1, 2000
From: Bill Rudman
Chromodoris? sp. 3 now has a real name. I've just seen the paper where Michael Schroedl has described this chromodorid which he sent the Forum a photo and message about last year. He has named it Glossodoris charlottae.
Reference: Schroedl, M. (1999) Glossodoris charlottae, a new chromodorid nudibranch from the Red Sea (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Vita Marina, 46(3-4): 89-94.
Bill Rudman.
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Feb 1) Glossodoris charlottae from Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1829Chromodoris species, which one?
March 15, 1999
From: Gordon T. Smith
Dear Bill,
The attached file is a picture of a Chromodoris species that I frequently found in a shallow area of what some people call "mud diving". It was in fact in a marina located in Sharm Obhur (known as the Creek by local expats) just north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There is a picture in Debelius' book (p215) but very little information.
Gordon
aquashot@emirates.net.ae
Smith, G.T., 1999 (Mar 15) Chromodoris species, which one?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/673Dear Gordon,
I am pretty sure that this species is unnamed. Have a look at Michael Schroedl's message below, and perhaps you should contact him. He may be interested in adding any information you have to his study of the species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Glossodoris? from the Red Sea
January 14, 1999
From: Michael Schroedl
Dear Dr. Rudman,
My name is Michael Schroedl, I am a PhD student revising Chilean nudibranchs. Beside, I am working on Red Sea opisthobranchs, at present trying to identify a Glossodoris species which may be new. This species was illustrated by Debelius (1997, p. 215, above: Chromodoris sp.), and may also refer to Yonow (1989: 296; pl. 10) Chromodoris indet. I have attached a file with a picture taken from Egypt in 1997. Please, is there any further information on its ID?
Many thanks for your help.
Best regards,
Michael
schroedl@zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de
Schroedl, M., 1999 (Jan 14) Glossodoris? from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/465Dear Michael,
I have seen photos of this animal before and yes the two references you mention seem to be the same animal. Are you basing the placing of it in Glossodoris on external features or have you had a look at its anatomy? I agree it is probably an unnamed species.
I would be very interested in information on Chilean opisthobranchs to put on the Sea Slug Forum. If you have photos you would like to share they would be very welcome.
Bill Rudman.
