Chromodoris lochi

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

Loch's chromodoris
In the Philippines
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Chromodoris
Species:
C. lochi
Binomial name
Chromodoris lochi
Rudman, 1982[1]

Distribution

This species is found in the tropical waters of the central Indo-Pacific region and is known to range from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to Fiji and the northern coast of Australia.[2]

Description

Chromodoris lochi is blue or blueish-white with a white margin and typically dark or black lines running down the mantle and the foot. On the mantle, a continuous line runs around the border passing on the outside of the rhinophore and a second median one can be discontinuous. Individuals can reach at least 4 cm in length.[3] There is some variation between individuals in this species, and the gills (retractile) and rhinophores (contractile) range in colour from a translucent straw-color, through to pink and light orange.[4][5][6][7] 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 colouring of the mantle and the lack of white specks which are present in some of the other species. A recent study showed that more than one species is currently confused amongst Chromodoris lochi.[8]

Chromodoris lochi was the inspiration for the Pokemon Shellos and Gastrodon which first appeared in Pokemon Diamond & Pearl.

Ecology

Chromodoris lochi, like many other dorid nudibranchs, feeds on sponges. It has been reported to eat Cacospongia mycofijiensis and Semitaspongia, both in the family Thorectidae.[9]

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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. Rudman, 1982. Chromodoris lochi Sea Slug Forum, accessed 14 October 2013.
  3. Chromodoris lochi Sous les Mers, accessed 2019-01-25.
  4. Debelius, Helmut, 2001, Nudibranchs and Sea Snails: Indo-Pacific Field Guide, IKAN - Unterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt, Germany.
  5. P.L. Beesley, G.J.B. Ross, A. Wells, Mollusca - The southern synthesis, vol.5, CSIRO, 1998,ISBN 0-643-05756-0
  6. David Behrens, Nudibranch behaviour, New World Publication INC., 2005, ISBN 978-1878348418
  7. Gary Cobb & Richard Willan, Undersea jewels - a colour guide to nudibranchs, Australian Biological Resources Study, 2006, ISBN 0642568472
  8. 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.
  9. Rudman W.B. & Bergquist, P.R., 2007. "A review of feeding specificity in the sponge-feeding Chromodorididae (Nudibranchia: Mollusca). Molluscan Research 27(2): 60–88.
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