Chromodoris lochi

Chromodoris lochi
A Chromodoris lochi from the Philippines
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. lochi
Binomial name
Chromodoris lochi Rudman, 1982[1]

Chromodoris lochi, common name Loch's Chromodoris, is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

Distribution

This species is found in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean and is known to range from the Great Barrier Reef in the Southern Hemisphere to the Philippines in the Northern Hemisphere.^[2]

Description

Chromodoris lochi is blue or blueish-white with typically three dark or black longitudal lines running down the body. Individuals can reach at least 34 mm in length. There is some variation between individuals in this species, and the gills and rhinophores range in color from a translucent straw-color, through to pink and light orange.

This species is very similar in appearance to Chromodoris willani, Chromodoris boucheti and Chromodoris dianae and can be difficult to tell apart. Its most distinguishing feature is the uniform coloring of the mantle and the lack of white specks which are present in some of the other species.

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  A pair of Chromodoris lochi in Puerto Galera, the Philippines

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  Chromodoris lochi from Papua New Guinea

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  Chromodoris lochi with missing rhinophore in Puerto Galera, the Philippines

Ecology

Chromodoris lochi, like many other nudibranchs, feeds on sponges.

References

1. ^ Rudman W. B. (1982) "The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris quadricolor, C. lineolata and Hypselodoris nigrolineata colour groups". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 76(3): 183-241. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1982.tb02182.x
2. ^ [1] Chromodoris lochi Rudman, 1982. Sea Slug Forum, accessed 8 December 2009.

External links

• Chromodoris lochi page at nudipixel
• Seaslug forum