Dendrodoris albopurpura Burn, 1957

Description

A mid-sized dorid reaching about 150 mm in length. Body colour highly variable, ranging from translucent grey-white through grey-brown to nearly black-brown. The dorsum bears large dark blotches together with white-ringed black tubercles scattered across the surface. The rhinophore stalks match the body ground colour while the lamellate clubs are dark brown; the gills, set well posteriorly on the body, are also dark brown.

Distribution

Indian Ocean and central / western Pacific. Records include Christmas Island, Australia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Japan and Hawaii. The type locality is Victoria, southern Australia.

Etymology

The specific epithet albopurpura is a Latin compound of albus ("white") and purpura ("purple"), in reference to the contrasting white and dark blotches of the dorsum.

Remarks

Originally described by Burn in "On some Opisthobranchia from Victoria" (Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia 1(1): 11-29, 1957), based on Victorian material. The first paper of his long series on Victorian opisthobranchs.

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References

• Dendrodoris albopurpura, Burn R. (1957). On some Opisthobranchia from Victoria. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 1(1): 11-29, pls. 1-3.
• デンドロドリス・アルボブルンネア, 殿塚孝昌. (2003). ウミウシガイドブック〈3〉. TBSブリタニカ.