Chromodoris cf. africana? from Madagascar [2]

February 13, 2009
From: Sully Bachel

Concerning message #20981:

Hallo Bill

Here is another form of Chromodoris cf. africana observed on "Ile Ste Marie" on the East coast of Madagascar.

This one has a black mantle

Locality: Ile Ste Marie, 14 m, Madagascar, Indian Ocean, october 2008. Length: 30 mm. Photographer: Sully Bachel.

Best regards
Sully

s.bachel@orange.fr

Bachel, S., 2009 (Feb 13) Chromodoris cf. africana? from Madagascar [2]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22235

Dear Sully,

This is a good illustration of how difficult it is to sort out which are actual species and which are colour forms of species in this colour group of chromodorids, all characterised by an orange border and longitudinal black lines.

Compared with your earlier photos [message #22234] this animal differs in having a wider mantle, and the orange band around the mantle is right at the edge while in the earlier species it was in from the edge. Also this animal has traces of white rather than blue, and the gills are more numerous and often branched. I suspect this animal is a true C. africana  rather than one that looks quite like it. That is not to say it is a 'perfect-looking' C. africana, but the wide mantle skirt and the numerous gills, as well as the absence of blue, make me 99% sure of its identity.

Interestingly it is associated with a red sponge, which could well be Negombata, one of  the known food sponges of C. africana.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Feb 13). Comment on Chromodoris cf. africana? from Madagascar [2] by Sully Bachel. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22235

Factsheet

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