Chromodoris sphoni
(Marcus, Ev., 1971)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical east Pacific from Mexico to Panama.
PHOTO
Costa Rica, January, 2000. PHOTO: Terry Gosliner.
Grows to about 40mm in length.
Very similar colour pattern to Hypselodoris agassizii. One difference is that in H. agassizii the rhinophores are all black, whereas on C. sphoni only the tips are.
Reference:
• Marcus, Ev. (1971) On some euthyneuran gastropods from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London 39: 355-369.
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (February 24) Chromodoris sphoni (Marcus, Ev., 1971). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/chrospho
Related messages
Re: Chromodoris sphoni from Galapagos Ids
February 3, 2004
From: Angel Chiriboga
Dear Dr. Rudman,
Thanks for your comments. I think you are right, its Psammocinia sp. And yes is the purple patch in the lower photo. I'm sending to you a better close up of the sponge. This sponge its common around Rocas Beagle, but this is the first time I have seen Chromodoris sphoni there.
Cheers,
Angel
achiriboga@fcdarwin.org.ec
Chiriboga, A., 2004 (Feb 3) Re: Chromodoris sphoni from Galapagos Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12066Dear Angel,
Thanks for the information on the sponge. It's a useful addition to our knowledge of C. sphoni.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Chromodoris sphoni from Galapagos Ids
January 30, 2004
From: Angel Chiriboga
Dear Dr. Rudman,
I found this dorid at Rocas Beagle, Santiago (Gálapagos Ids), October 2003 at 35ft on a sponge of the genus Psammochinia. Could it be Chromodoris ruzafai which is endemic to the Galapagos? I'm not pretty sure, but what do you think?
I hope you can help me.
Best wishes,
Angel Chiriboga
achiriboga@fcdarwin.org.ec
Chiriboga, A., 2004 (Jan 30) Chromodoris sphoni from Galapagos Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12052Dear Angel,
This is Chromodoris sphoni, which has been reported from the Galapagos Ids and along the east Pacific coast of central America to Mexico. It is very similar in colour to Chromodoris ruzafai, Ortea, Bacallado and Valdes, 1992, which as you say is known only from the Galapagos Ids at present.
Unfortunately I don't have photos of C. ruzafai for you to compare, but like C. sphoni it has a dark reddish purple region on the mantle with scattered yellow spots. In C. ruzafai the size and shape of the purple region is quite variable, while in C. sphoni it is usually cross-shaped, as in your photos. One other difference is that while C. sphoni has a series of blue, yellow and purple concentric bands around the mantle edge, the rest of the mantle in C. ruzafai is white. The rhinophores in C. ruzafai are deep red with a white tip, while in C. sphoni they are white with a reddish band around the upper half of the rhinophore club. These two species belong to a group of similarly coloured species in the eastern Pacific much like the red-spotted group in southeastern Australia.
I am interested in your record of feeding. I assume you mean Psammocinia [Thorectidae, Dictyoceratida] not Psammochinia. A sponge of this genus is the preferred food of Hypselodoris bennetti from southeastern Australia. Is the sponge the dark purplish patch in the lower right corner of the lower photo?
• Ortea, J.A., Bacallado, J.J. & Valdes, A. (1992) Resultados cientificos del Proyecto Galapagos: Patrimonio de la humanidad. No.1. Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Resultados cientificos del Proyecto Galapagos, TFMC 1:, 31-70. (Figs 1-20, Pls 1,2)
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Chromodoris sphoni from Mexico
March 26, 2002
From: Alicia Hermosillo
Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of Chromodoris sphoni, to accompany my message about Hypselodoris agassizii and the other similarly coloured species
It was collected at Las Pozas, Isla Isabel, Nayarit [Pacific coast of Mexico] at 47 feet and 15 mm long.
Alicia Hermosillo
alicia_titan@infosel.net.mx
Hermosillo, A., 2002 (Mar 26) Chromodoris sphoni from Mexico. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6546Thanks Ali,
Bill Rudman
Chromodoris sphoni from Galapagos Ids
March 17, 2000
From: Barbara Harvey
Dear Dr Rudman,
This species was seen at the Galapagos Islands, July 1999. The bottom photo, of water, shows the underside of the animal
Hoping you may be able to ID this for me,
Thanks in advance,
Barbara Harvey
bilby@mpx.com.au
Harvey, B., 2000 (Mar 17) Chromodoris sphoni from Galapagos Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2098Dear Barbara,
This is our first slug on the Forum from the Galapagos Islands. It is Chromodoris sphoni which is found only in the central eastern Pacific. Another very similar looking species is Hypselodoris agassizii, which has also been found at the Galapagos Ids.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
