Mexichromis festiva
(Angas, 1864)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from New South Wales and Lord Howe Island, southeastern Australia.

PHOTO

UPPER: North coast, New South Wales, March 1982, with egg ribbon. Note large direct developing eggs.
LOWER: Green Point,Woolgoolga, northern New South Wales, November 1982.
PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.

Mexichromis festiva is apparently endemic to New South Wales, this species has direct development. It is very similar in colour to the more widely spread tropical Mexichromis mariei but the radular teeth of Mexichromis festiva have many more denticles. The reddish-purple spots in Mexichromis festiva are either flat or on a slightly rounded bump, unlike the pointed tubercle which often forms in Mexichromis mariei.

References:
• Rudman, W.B. (1983) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris splendida, C. aspersa and Hypselodoris placida colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 78: 105-173.
• Rudman, W.B. (1984) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 81: 115-273.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 16) Mexichromis festiva (Angas, 1864). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/mexifest

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