Chromodoris splendida? from New Zealand

October 5, 2001
From: Colin Gans


Hi
This one's from Auckland, New Zealand. I was out diving on Sunday off Waiheke Island and took this pic.[30 September 2001]

Can you confirm this as Chromodoris splendida?

Regards,
Colin Gans

colin@gans.co.nz

Gans, C., 2001 (Oct 5) Chromodoris splendida? from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5393

Dear Colin,
Thanks for the photos. Your animal is Ceratosoma amoena which is found both in temperate Australia and New Zealand. There is some colour variation throughout its wide geographic range and in New Zealand all the specimens I know of have this pale pinkish-purple background colour, dark orange spots and purple gills & rhinophores. In your upper photo you can clearly see the opaque whitish patches around the posterior end of the mantle. These are the defensive mantle glands found in most species of chromodorid. Each genus has a particular general layout of these glands, and it appears that at least in some genera, like Hypselodoris, individual species can also be distinguished by the detailed placement and number of individual mantle glands.

Chromodoris splendida, to my knowledge, has not been recorded from New Zealand. It is basically a New South Wales species, although there have been a few reports from Victoria, in the south, and from as far north as Heron Island at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. In its usual colour form it is white with a yellow border and large bright red spots.

Any other photos of sea slugs from New Zealand are always welcome
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Oct 5). Comment on Chromodoris splendida? from New Zealand by Colin Gans. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5393

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