Chromodoris quadricolor (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830)

Description

Reaches about 50 mm in length. Body indigo blue, with several light blue longitudinal stripes running along the dorsum and sides; the mantle and foot margins are bordered by an outer citrine yellow band and an inner white band. The rhinophores and the twelve pinnate gills are citrine yellow.

Distribution

Centred on the Red Sea, where it is one of the most commonly encountered nudibranchs, with records from the western Indian Ocean. Lessepsian incursions into the eastern Mediterranean have also been reported. The type locality is El-Tor on the Sinai Peninsula, Red Sea.

Etymology

The specific epithet quadricolor is the Latin for "four-coloured" (from quadri-, "four", and color, "colour"), referring to the four-colour mantle pattern of indigo, light blue, white and citrine yellow set out in the original diagnosis.

Remarks

Originally described as Doris quadricolor by Rüppell & Leuckart (Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika, Wirbellose Thiere, p. 31, 1830) from material collected at El-Tor. Feeds on the red sponge Negombata magnifica. Known in English as the "Pyjama Slug" for its boldly striped pattern.

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References

• Doris quadricolor, Rüppell E. & Leuckart F.S. (1828-1830). Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika von Eduard Rüppell. Erste Abtheilung. Zoologie, Neue wirbellose Thiere des Rothen Meers. Frankfurt am Main: H.L. Brönner. iv + 47 pp., 12 pls.
• Chromodoris quadricolor, 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 quadricolor, 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