Variation in Chromodoris albopunctata
February 26, 2000
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
Attached also are some photos of Chromodoris albopunctata, which is one of my favorite species. E039-3 shows juvenile coloration, which is similar to the species Chromodoris briqua described from Enewetak by Marcus & Burch (1965). C. briqua had reddish spots on yellow, but the marginal banding and yellow underside and
foot match, and in all my years in the Marshalls, I haven't yet found another Chromodoris with a yellow foot. All of these pictures are of Marshall Islands specimens except for the two from Hawaii labeled h130-1 and h130-3. Interestingly, there is some marginal color variation. In most of the specimens, the margin is light, bright blue or purplish-blue at the very edge, with submarginal bands of dark blue-black and then yellow. In one Hawaiian specimen, h130-1, the outer margin is dark blue while the submarginal bands are light blue and yellow.
Reference:
•Marcus, E.G. & J.B. Burch. 1965. Marine euthyneuran Gastropoda from Eniwetok Atoll, western Pacific. Malacologia 3(2): 235-262.
Scott
johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu
Dear Scott,
Thanks for another interesting set of photos and information. I agree that the yellow foot of this animal is quite unique among the genus. I used to call it by its east African name Chromodoris sykesi Eliot but the mantle colour variation in specimens in east Africa (which I illustrate at the top of the page) ranged from yellow to the bright red of your central Pacific material.
best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
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