Chromodoris cf. mandapamensis Valdes , Mollo & Ortea, 1999

Mehrotra, Rahul, A. Caballer Gutierrez, Manuel, M. Scott, Chad, Arnold, Spencer, Monchanin, Coline, Viyakarn, Voranop & Chavanich, Suchana, 2021, An updated inventory of sea slugs from Koh Tao, Thailand, with notes on their ecology and a dramatic biodiversity increase for Thai waters, ZooKeys 1042, pp. 73-188 : 73

* Chromodoris cf. mandapamensis Valdes, Mollo & Ortea, 1999 Figure 9F

Material examined.

Three specimens 5-10 mm, CB.

Ecology.

Among reef rubble, in particular under dead fungiid coral skeletons, in shallow coral reef areas. Depth 2-8 m.

Distribution.

Goniobranchus pruna (Gosliner, 1994) is known from Madagascar and South Africa ( Gosliner 1994) and Mozambique ( Tibiriçá et al. 2017). Chromodoris sp. 15 is known from Philippines and New Caledonia ( Gosliner et al. 2018).

Remarks.

Very similar to Chromodoris aff. mandapamensis ( Layton et al. 2018; Bonomo and Gosliner 2020), Chromodoris sp. 15 ( Gosliner et al. 2018), and Goniobranchus pruna ( Gosliner 1994). While C. mandapamensis has been suggested as a possible synonym of G. pruna as discussed in Tibiriçá et al. (2017), the present species is kept separate from C. mandapamensis due to difference in the local ecology of both species. Chromodoris mandapamensis is locally recorded only from sparse observations at offshore pinnacles, with no confirmed records for the past five years, whereas C. cf. mandapamensis is regularly found in surveys in shallow reef areas near the shore. While it is possible that this species undergoes its juvenile stages closer to shore before moving out towards the offshore pinnacles, no observations have been made of this species in the intervening deeper soft sediment habitats between the two. Additionally, no individuals larger than approximately 15 mm have been recorded and no individuals that externally match C. mandapamensis have yet been recorded near the island.

Figures

Figure 9. A Hallaxa iju 10 mm B Hallaxa indecora 8 mm C Cadlinella ornatissima 30 mm (photograph by Mati Pauner) D Ceratosoma tenue 85 mm E Chromodoris mandapamensis 50 mm (photograph by Tine Kvamme) F Chromodoris cf. mandapamensis 7 mm G Chromodoris cf. balat 25 mm (photograph by Elouise Haskin) H Diversidoris aurantionodulosa 30 mm I Diversidoris crocea 8 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) J Doriprismatica atromarginata 60 mm K Glossodoris cf. cincta 40 mm L Goniobranchus cf. albonares 5 mm.