Chromodoris cazae
Gosliner and Behrens, 2004

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

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from Qatar [Arabian/Persian Gulf] and United Arab Emirates [Gulf of Oman]

PHOTO

Upper: Doha, Qatar. Arabian Gulf. 2nd February 1979, 12 metres, Approx 2.5mm long. Photo: Tony Reavill. Lower: Khawr Fakkan, 12m. Gulf of Oman, United Arab Emirates. Photo: Carole Harris.

The mantle is creamy white with large wine-red or purple rounded patches scattered over the mantle and forming a broken band around the edge. There are usually a number of smaller orange-yellow spots, of variable size, in each purple patch. In the case of the purple patches around the mantle edge, the yellow spots form a submarginal mantle band. Sometimes yellow spots occur on white parts of the mantle but this is rare. The rhinophore pockets have a raised sheath which sometime bears a purple patch with smaller yellow spots. The gills and rhinophores are translucent white with opaque white edging. The photos I have seen of this animal show only the mantle so the colour of the animal and foot is unknown.

Previously known on Forum as Chromodoris sp. 15. See also C. tumulifera and C. kitae.

References:
• Gosliner, T.M. & Behrens, D.W. (2004) Two of New Species of Dorid Nudibranchs (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) from the Indian Ocean. Proceedings of the Californian Academy of Sciences, 55(1): 1-10.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2004 (July 10) Chromodoris cazae Gosliner and Behrens, 2004. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chrocaza

Related messages

  1. Chromodoris cazae from Qatar
    From: Tony Reavill, August 5, 2004
  2. A name for Chromodoris sp. 15
    From: Dave Behrens, July 10, 2004
  3. Re: Chromodoris sp. 15
    From: Tony Reavill, February 10, 2004
  4. Chromodorid from Persian Gulf
    From: Tony Reavill, February 6, 2004

Show factsheet and all related messages