Chromodoris quagga Bonomo & Gosliner, 2020

Description

A moderately large Chromodoris reaching about 35 mm. Body light brown with long black stripes along the mantle. The mantle margin bears a bright yellow border, and black spots are scattered between the border and the stripes. The roughly 20 unipinnate gill branches are translucent white with bright orange on the rachis. Rhinophores are orange with an opaque white ring at the base and around 16 lamellae. The posterior end of the foot extends beyond the mantle and bears a thin yellow margin and a few brown stripes. Mantle glands are U-shaped with extensions running outwards on either side.

Distribution

Philippines.

Etymology

Named after Equus quagga, the plains zebra; the striping recalled the disruptive colouration of the zebra.

Remarks

Described in a 2020 revision of Chromodoris. The minimum uncorrected COI distance to its sister species C. orientalis is 7.0%, and 8.5% to the externally similar C. burni; the much larger body size (35 mm vs 9-11 mm) and radular morphology further distinguish it from C. burni.

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References

• クロモドリス・ストリアテラ, 殿塚孝昌. (2003). ウミウシガイドブック〈3〉. TBSブリタニカ.
• Chromodoris quagga, 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 burni, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.
• 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. 11, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2018). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific 2nd Edition. New World Pubns Inc.
• BONOMO L.J. & GOSLINER T.M. (2020). Adding stars to the Chromodoris (Nudibranchia, Chromodorididae) galaxy with the description of four new species. Zootaxa. 4819(3). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4819.3.1