Flapping Chromodoris geminus from Pemba Islands

March 2, 2006
From: Pasquale Pascullo


Is this Chromodoris geminus? I have some great people helping me id some subjects, but seeing other pictures confuses me when researching - some are so close to it (C. kuniei?)
What is the behavior showing us with the flapping?

Locality: Pemba Islands , +/- 11meters, EastCoast Tanzania, west Indian Ocean, Feb 08 '06, rough rocky reef. Length: 2inches. Photographer: Pasquale Pascullo.

Thanks again for your time and work here Bill.

Pasquale Pascullo
www.ppfotos.com

pp@ppfotos.com

Pascullo, P., 2006 (Mar 2) Flapping Chromodoris geminus from Pemba Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15993

Dear Pat,
Thanks for these photos showing the mantle flapping behaviour of this species. This is one of the most spectacular of a group which flap their mantle as they crawl along. They have glands around the mantle edge which store distasteful chemicals they store from their sponge food. It is possible that flapping the mantle edge like this draws possible fish predators to the most distasteful parts of their body. Once the fish have had a few nibbles perhaps they learn to give not only the colour pattern but also animals with a flapping mantle a wide berth in the future. I must say this is only a hypothesis. We still have much to learn about them.

C. geminus and C. kuniei are very similar in colour. I called this species C. geminus [geminus = twin] precisely because they look so alike.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Mar 2). Comment on Flapping Chromodoris geminus from Pemba Islands by Pasquale Pascullo. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15993

Factsheet

Chromodoris geminus

Related messages

  1. Mantle flapping : Chromodoris geminus
    From: Kamal El Tawil, September 10, 2009
  2. Chromodoris geminus from Indonesia, Bali
    From: Marcel Tanke, October 14, 2008
  3. Re: Chromodoris geminus from the Red Sea
    From: Joe De Vroe, June 11, 2008
  4. Chromodoris geminus from the Red Sea
    From: Kamal El Tawil, June 5, 2008
  5. Chromodoris geminus from the Red Sea
    From: Darja Tjioe, July 4, 2007
  6. Chromodoris geminus from Reunion Island?
    From: Hugues Flodrops, May 4, 2007
  7. Chromodoris geminus from Bali
    From: Mike Krampf, February 8, 2007
  8. Re: Chromodoris geminus from Thailand
    From: Asther Lau, November 29, 2006
  9. Re: Chromodoris geminus from Thailand
    From: Kamal El Tawil, November 28, 2006
  10. Re: Chromodoris geminus from Thailand
    From: Asther Lau, November 28, 2006
  11. Chromodoris geminus from Thailand
    From: Asther Lau, November 23, 2006
  12. Chromodoris geminus from the Egyptian Red Sea
    From: Michael Mrutzek, January 3, 2005
  13. Chromodoris geminus from Thailand
    From: Mary Lojkine, January 23, 2003
  14. Chromodoris geminus from Similan Islands
    From: Danny Van Belle, January 15, 2003
  15. Chromodoris geminus from Christmas Island
    From: Bill Rudman, April 28, 2002
  16. Chromodoris geminus from the Maldives
    From: Peter Steggle, November 27, 2001
  17. Chromodoris geminus from the Maldives
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 30, 2001
  18. Chromodoris geminus from Thailand
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 30, 2001
  19. Chromodoris geminus from South Africa
    From: Valda Fraser, April 22, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages