Red-spotted nudibranch

Red-spotted nudibranch Chromodoris heatherae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Nudipleura clade Nudibranchia clade Euctenidiacea clade Doridacea
Superfamily:	Doridoidea
Family:	Chromodorididae
Genus:	Chromodoris
Species:	C. heatherae
Binomial name
Chromodoris heatherae Gosliner, 1994

The red-spotted nudibranch, Chromodoris heatherae, is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

Distribution

This species has so far only been found around the southern African coast from the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth subtidally to 30 m. It is probably endemic.^[1]

Description

The red-spotted nudibranch is a white-bodied dorid with a smooth skin and with variably distributed red spots and an opaque white band around the notum. There may also be a yellowish line around the edge of the notum, which is more common in specimens seen towards the eastern part of the distribution. It has eight gills arranged around the anus and its rhinophores are perfoliate. It may reach a total length of 50 mm.^[2]

Ecology

This species feeds on sponges.

References

1. ^ GOSLINER, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
2. ^ ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3

External links