Chromodoris magnifica

Chromodoris magnifica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Nudipleura clade Nudibranchia
Superfamily:	Doridoidea
Family:	Chromodorididae
Genus:	Chromodoris
Species:	C. magnifica
Binomial name
Chromodoris magnifica (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)[1]

Chromodoris magnifica is a species of nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

Distribution

This nudibranch is found in the Western Pacific Ocean from Indonesia and the Philippines to New Guinea and Eastern Australia.

Description

The specific epithet magnifica in Chromodoris magnifica means magnificent, so-named because of this nudibranch's striking, vibrant colors: longitudinal blue, black, white and yellow lines with orange gills and rhinophores. This species is easily confused with the similar looking Chromodoris quadricolor. Chromodoris magnifica can be distinguished by its submarginal orange border.^[2]

Ecology

Chromodoris magnifica feeds on sponges and has been observed feeding on red sponges of the genus Negombata.

• 

  Chromodoris magnifica juvenile in Puerto Galera, the Philippines.

• 

  Chromodoris magnifica.

References

1. ^ (French) Quoy, J. R. & Gaimard, J. P. (1832). Voyage de decouvertes de L'Astrolabe pendant les annees 1826-1827-1828-1829, sous le commandement de M.J. Dumont D'Urville, Zoologie, 2: 1-686.
2. ^ http://www.seaslugforum.net/message/15098 (accessed 17th December 2009)

Books

• Debelius, Helmut, 2001, Nudibranchs and Sea Snails: Indo-Pacific Field Guide, IKAN - Unterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt, Germany.

External links

• Chromodoris magnifica at nudipixel