Chromodoris cf. africana
Rudman, 1982

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific.

PHOTO

UPPER RIGHT: Surf Pt, Shark Bay, Western Australia [WAM312-85].
LOWER LEFT: Kendrew Is, Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia.
LOWER RIGHT: Surf Pt, Shark Bay, Western Australia, March 1986 [WAM335-85].
PHOTOS: Clay Bryce.

In the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific there is a 'species' of Chromodoris, very similar in external colour to Chromodoris africana from the western Indian Ocean. It often has some blue in the background colour and the black bands are often broken and less regular than in C. africana. One other difference seems to be that whereas in C. africana the two inner white longitudinal bands connect with the outer white band at the anterior end, in C. cf. africana the black forms a transverse band anteriorly blocking the white bands inside the black region from joining the outer white band.

The radular teeth have a number of morphological differences from C. africana. In C. africana, the innermost lateral tooth on each side has 3-4 inner denticles and no outer denticles, and the other lateral teeth can have a few small outer denticles, but at the base of the tooth, or none. In comparison, Chromodoris cf. africana the innermost lateral tooth has up to 5 inner and outer denticles, and the other lateral teeth have up to 7 prominent outer denticles.

References:
• Rudman, W.B. (1977) Chromodorid opisthobranch Mollusca from East Africa and the tropical West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 61: 351-397.
• Rudman, W.B. (1982) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris quadricolor, C. lineolata and Hypselodoris nigrolineata colour groups.
Zoologica Journal of the Linnean Society, 76: 183-241.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (July 19) Chromodoris cf. africana Rudman, 1982. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chrocfaf

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