Chromodoris aureopurpurea

Photo courtesy of the Webmaster
Photograph taken at Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia, Oct. 2000

Chromodoris aureopurpurea Collingwood, 1881

Chromodoris aureopurpurea was originally described from the coast of China. It's distribution is now documented throughout the tropical western Pacific, to New Caledonia, Australia and Indonesia.

The species which grows to a little over 40 mm in length, is white with small diffuse brown patches and yellow spots over the central dorsum. The margin is distinct, bearing a band of diffuse purple, broken by larger deep purple spots. In some specimens there are yellow spots on the inside edge of the large purple spots. The rhinophores and gills are purple to red-brown with white edge.

When identifying this species, it should not be confused with other species having purple marginal spots - Chromodoris rufomaculata (the photo in Nudibranchs and Sea Snails. Indo-Pacific Field Guide by Debelius is actually a C. aureopurpurea) and C. alius, both of which have purple marginal spots. In these two species, the spots are right on the edge of the mantle however. A handsome photo of C. alius can be found on Bill Rudman's Sea Slug Forum . Also similar,are Chromodoris collingwoodi (the center of the dorsum in this species is deep reddish brown, with white specks), and C. tennentana from the Indian Ocean. In the latter, the central portion of the dorsum is brown with large purple spots.

Taxonomic information courtesy of Dave Behrens

David W. Behrens Author: Pacific Coast Nudibranchs Co-Author Coral Reef Animals of the Indo Pacific Propriator of Sea Challengers Natural History Books ! Send Dave mail at seachalleng@earthlink.net

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