Chromodoris joshi
Gosliner & Behrens, 1998

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Recently described from the Philippines and the Andaman Sea. Also reported here from Indonesia.

PHOTO

Anilao, Philippines, during May 2003. Photo: Ray Izumi

Reference:
• Gosliner, T.M. & Behrens, D.W. (1998) Five new species of Chromodoris (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 50(5): 139-165.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (September 10) Chromodoris joshi Gosliner & Behrens, 1998. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/chrjosh

Related messages


Chromodoris joshi from Bali

February 13, 2008
From: Mirjam Broos

Dear Bill,

I have a lot of pictures of 'blue' Chromodoris species. Some of them trouble me a lot. I'm really not sure I have identified them well.

I hope the ones in this message are Chromodoris joshi. Do you agree?

Locality: Nusa Penida, Christal Bay, Bali, Indonesia, Indian ocean, 12 April 2007. Photographer: Geert Prast.

Thanks,
Mirjam

mirjam.broos@planet.nl

Broos, M., 2008 (Feb 13) Chromodoris joshi from Bali. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21278

Dear Mirjam,

Although this has no blue, it is best lumped with the other black-lined species such as C. quadricolor and C. elisabethina. I tend to call this colour group the 'C. quadricolor group' so we don't get confused with the 'blue chromodorids' - mainly of the genus Hypselodoris found in the mediterranean and nearby Atlantic.  Your animal is indeed C. joshi. The absence of blue colouration and the white granular spots all over the mantle are good characters of this species.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Feb 13). Comment on Chromodoris joshi from Bali by Mirjam Broos. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21278

Chromodoris joshi from Philippines

October 24, 2003
From: Nobuyasu Tamura


Dear Dr. Rudman,
I found Chromodoris joshi in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines.

Data
Date:2003/08/04
Location: Anilao, Batangas, Philippines
Depth: -28m
Length: 55mm
W/Temp.: 27C
Photo by Nobuyasu Tamura

Thanks and Best Regards ,
Nobuyasu Tamura

tamu7007010471@sanyo.co.jp

Tamura, N., 2003 (Oct 24) Chromodoris joshi from Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11244

Thanks Nobuyasu ,
The white patching all over the mantle is an interesting feature of this species. It would be interesting to know if its egg ribbon is attached flat on the substrate as is typical of the this group of Chromodoris with longitudinal black lines [see Flat egg ribbon Page].
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Oct 24). Comment on Chromodoris joshi from Philippines by Nobuyasu Tamura. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11244

Re: Chromodoris joshi - food sponge?

June 11, 2003
From: Paul Whitehead

This photograph of Chromodoris joshi on the same food sponge as Rau Izumi's animal was taken at Puerta Gallera in the Phillippines in May 2003, depth was about 15 meters just above the Dungan Wreck site.

The shot is natural with no relocation of the subject.
Paul Whitehead

whitehead@damnam.org

Whitehead, P., 2003 (Jun 11) Re: Chromodoris joshi - food sponge?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10189

Thanks Paul,
Your photo certainly helps to confirm that this red sponge is at least one preferred food sponge of C. joshi,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Jun 11). Comment on Re: Chromodoris joshi - food sponge? by Paul Whitehead. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10189

Re: Chromodoris joshi - food sponge?

June 2, 2003
From: Ray Izumi

Dear Bill,
As to this specimen's location on the sponge in the picture, I can definitively say only this: when I first came across it, it was crawling along in the sand. As I filmed, it happened across the sponge, and immediately crawled into the position in the picture. I came back to the site about ten minutes later and it was still on the same small sponge. But it may have climbed on the sponge to escape stinging corals in the vicinity. I suppose all we could really conclude is that C. joshi does not dislike this species of sponge.

However, I did a little more hunting on the web and came across another picture, from the same area, of C. joshi perched on what appears to be the same species of sponge. There is an excellent photo of this at: http://slugsite.us/bow/nudwk114.htm

I will email the divemasters at Club Ocellaris, who see these frequently, and ask them to watch for further sightings.
Ray Izumi

izumirm@sprynet.com

Izumi, R., 2003 (Jun 2) Re: Chromodoris joshi - food sponge?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10077

Thanks Ray,
I have had a look at the photo you mention on Mike Miller's site and agree the sponge looks very similar. Accumulating credible data on what these opisthobranchs eat is slow work, but it is certainly made easier when there are so many willing pairs of eyes around the world helping out.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Jun 2). Comment on Re: Chromodoris joshi - food sponge? by Ray Izumi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10077

Chromodoris joshi from Philippines

May 27, 2003
From: Ray Izumi

Can anyone identify this nudibranch? It was found at Anilao, Philippines, during early May this year.
Ray Izumi

izumirm@sprynet.com

Izumi, R., 2003 (May 27) Chromodoris joshi from Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10034

Dear Ray,
This is Chromodoris joshi. It has a very characteristic colour pattern and a very dense speckling of large white 'glands'? all over the mantle. We don't know much about this species so I would be intersted to know whether you found it on the sponge it is crawling on in your photo, or whether you have posed it for the photo? If you found it like this it could well be evidence of feeding.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (May 27). Comment on Chromodoris joshi from Philippines by Ray Izumi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10034

Chromodoris joshi from the Philippines

September 3, 1999
From: Erwin Koehler

Bill,
This photo was taken by Udo Jansen, Duisburg, Germany,
Email: u.jansen@planet-interkom.de

at "Sinan Digan", Mindoro Is., Philippines, July 18, 1999, size 45 mm, depth 20 m
Can you identify it?
Erwin

Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de

Koehler, E, 1999 (Sep 3) Chromodoris joshi from the Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1290

Dear Erwin & Udo,
This is Chromodoris joshi. Its most characteristic feature, separating from other black lined species is the mottled white blotches all over the mantle. In this photo, which is a bit overexposed, the white blotches can only be clearly seen in the shaded region below the gills.
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Sep 3). Comment on Chromodoris joshi from the Philippines by Erwin Koehler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1290

Chromodoris joshi

September 10, 1998
From: Aloysia Murni Shintosari


I really doubt my opinion about this species. I assume that it belong to Chromodoris africana Eliot, 1904. The assumption only based on lack of white band at the edge of the notum.

They are from the reef at Penjaliran Barat Island, Thousand Islands, Indonesia.

Thankyou for any advice

Aloysia

Aloysia Murni Shintosari
Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense
Cibinong, Indonesia.

mzb@indo.net.id

Aloysia Murni Shintosari, 1998 (Sep 10) Chromodoris joshi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/235

Dear Aloysia,
Not a bad stab at an identification. I had wondered whether it was a form of Chromodoris africana for some years. It was only this year that Gosliner & Behrens decided that it was a distinct species. ... Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Sep 10). Comment on Chromodoris joshi by Aloysia Murni Shintosari. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/235

Chromodoris joshi from Indonesia

September 10, 1998
From: Bill Rudman

Here is a photo of Chromdoris joshi from Indonesia, taken by John Hicks.

Ayer Is, near Jakarta, Indonesia, April 1981. PHOTO: J.Hicks.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Sep 10) Chromodoris joshi from Indonesia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10060