Diversidoris crocea
Diversidoris crocea is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[2][3]
| Diversidoris crocea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A live individual of Diversidoris crocea in Guam, head end towards the right | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Doridina |
| Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Genus: | Diversidoris |
| Species: | D. crocea |
| Binomial name | |
| Diversidoris crocea (Rudman, 1986)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Distribution
This species is found in the tropical western Pacific, including: Indonesia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Guam, and south to Queensland, Australia.[4][5]
Description
This nudibranch is usually less than 50 mm (2.0 in) in length. It has a yellow body with a pale mantle margin that has two semi-permanent mantle folds about mid-body. The rhinophores and branchia (gills) are also yellow. However, identifying individual yellow sea slugs within the genus Diversidoris can be challenging because yellow forms which mimic their food, yellow sponges, exist in many related species.[6][7][8]
Ecology
This species is often found on the yellow sponge Darwinella, which appears to be its preferred food source.[9]
References
- Rudman W.B. (1986) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Noumea flava color group. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 88: 307-404. page(s): 382
- MolluscaBase (2018). Diversidoris crocea (Rudman, 1986). Accessed on 2019-01-31.
- Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479
- Rudman, W.B., 1998 (March 28) Noumea crocea Rudman, 1986. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
- Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Valdés, Á. (2008) Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and seaslugs. A field guide to the world's most diverse fauna. Sea Challengers Natural History Books, Washington, 426 pp. page(s): 245
- Rudman, W.B., 2001 (March 29) Noumea flava Colour Group. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
- Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 206
- Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. 1999. Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Leiden : Backhuys 257 pp.
- Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 24). Comment on Noumea crocea from the Philippines by Carlos R. Munda. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
