''Chromodoris colemani'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of colourful

sea slug Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails (marine gastropod mollusks) that over evolutionary ...

, a dorid

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to mat ...

, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family

Chromodorididae Chromodorididae, or chromodorids, are a taxonomic family of colourful, sea slugs; dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Doridoidea. “Chromodorid nudibranchs are among the most gorgeously coloured of all animals. ...

. Named after Neville Coleman, an Australian diver and publisher of several popular books on diving and marine biology of the South Pacific area.

Distribution

This species was described from

Lizard Island Lizard Island is an island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland (Australia), northwest of Brisbane and part of the Lizard Island Group that also includes Palfrey Island. It is part of the Lizard Island National Park. Lizard Island is within t ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. It has been reported from Japan, the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

Description

''Chromodoris colemani'' has a white mantle with typically five, thin, longitudinal, black lines interspersed with diffuse light brown lines. The two outer lines start in front of the rhinophores and run parallel to the mantle rim, meeting behind the gills but usually not joining. The mid dorsal line starts as a circular patch in front of the rhinophores and runs to the gills. There is a broad submarginal band of pale orange. Animals from the Marshall Islands are the best fit with the original description. They suggest that the area covered with black lines can be pale blue and the lines can break into dashes and have a marginal rather than submarginal orange border to the mantle. There is a suggestion that this species can mimic ''

Chromodoris westraliensis ''Chromodoris westraliensis'' is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.Caballer, M. (2011)''Chromodoris westraliensis'' (O'Donoghue, 1924).Accessed through: World Regist ...

''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. but all animals from the western Australian and Philippines areas are a poor fit for the original description.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5113856 Chromodorididae Taxa named by William B. Rudman Gastropods described in 1982