Chromodoris dianae Gosliner & Behrens, 1998

Description

A medium-sized chromodorid with a white background colour crossed by fine black longitudinal lines and a broad yellow band around the mantle margin. Two diagnostic features set it apart from similar species: the absence of a "smiling-face" pattern at the front of the head, and gills that are orange right down to their base, with white only on the inner surface.

Distribution

Widely distributed in the western Pacific.

Etymology

The specific epithet dianae is the feminine genitive of the personal name Diana, dedicated by one of the original describers (Behrens) to his wife Diana.

Remarks

The external resemblance to Chromodoris alcalai has been recognised since the original description, but the dorsal black-line pattern, gill colouration, and molecular phylogenetic data together support the species' status as distinct from that taxon.

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References

• Chromodoris dianae sp. nov., Gosliner, T. M.; Behrens, D. W. (1998). Five new species of Chromodoris (Molluscs: Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 4(50): 139-165., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15659747 page(s): 145-150
• ダイアナウミウシ, 中野理枝. (2004). 本州のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
• ダイアナウミウシ, 小野篤司. (2004). 沖縄のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
• Chromodoris sp 29, Helmut Debelius, Rudie H. Kuiter. (2007). Nudibranchs of the World.
• Chromodoris dianae, Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012). Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: a molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479.
• Chromodoris dianae, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.
• Chromodoris dianae, Layton K.K., Gosliner T.M. & Wilson N.G. (2018). Flexible colour patterns obscure identification and mimicry in Indo-Pacific Chromodoris nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Chromodorididae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 124: 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2018.02.008
• Chromodoris sp. 7, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2018). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific 2nd Edition. New World Pubns Inc.
• ミスジアオイロウミウシ属の1種 8, 小野篤司 & 加藤昌一. (2020). 新版 ウミウシ. 誠文堂新光社.
• Chromodoris dianae, Gosliner T.M. (2021). Sleuthing cryptic Chromodorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia): adding to Philippine marine biodiversity. Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology. 14(2). https://doi.org/10.26757/pjsb2020b14014