Chromodoris is a genus of very colourful sea slugs or dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs, and the type genus of the family Chromodorididae. Within the genus Chromodoris, there are currently 101 classified species. Species within Chromodoris are commonly found in tropical and subtropical waters, living as members of reef communities and preying primarily on sponges. A molecular phylogeny of the family Chromodorididae resulted in this genus being restricted to a smaller number of species than formerly, most of which have longitudinal black lines on the mantle. Many former members of Chromodoris were transferred to Goniobranchus
Anatomy Chromodoris species exhibit one of the two major body types found within Nudibranchia. There are a few major bodily features that separate chromodorids from other sea slugs.
Mantle Dorids have a thick mantle that exists over their foot, and in some species, the mantle can have tubercles (nodules along the surface of an organism that are made of keratin) of different concentrations, shapes, and sizes, providing some rigidity and protection for their soft, shell-less bodies. In most dorid species, the mantle holds toxins that defend the organism that are obtained through their diet.
Respiratory system Chromodorids breathe oxygen principally through their gills, usually positioned in a featherlike structure located around the anus at their posterior, called the branchial plume.
Phylogeny and taxonomy The classification of the family Chromodorididae has been the subject of many studies on nudibranches in recent years, most focusing on the phylogeny and its impact on the traditional taxonomies of the genera. Chromodoris was long considered to be the most diverse genus of the Chromodorididae; however, a study published in July 2018 on Indo-pacific species of chromodorid nudibranchs has shown that the genus should be categorized more strictly, and has been narrowed down to 22 species. These species characteristically have black stripes along their bodies and linear spawning.
Chemical defenses Chromodorid nudibranchs commonly exhibit chemical defenses to protect themselves from predators. Most of the species that exhibit this behavior make use of bioactive compounds like alkaloids, diterpenes, and sesquiterpenes from the sponges they feed on. Nudibranchs can collect these compounds and store them as is, transform them, or be selectively sequestered, although there is no information on how common each mechanism is and which individual species exhibit the individual methods. Chromodorid nudibranchs in particular transport and store their toxic compounds in specialized storage glands located in strategic locations throughout the mantle, called mantle dermal formations (MDFs). These MDFs have been shown to harbor extremely high concentrations of distasteful and potent compounds in comparison to the rest of their body.
Reproduction All nudibranchs are simultaneous hermaphrodites, with each individual possessing both male and female reproductive structures. During mating, two individuals compete for the position of male by darting their penises at one another until the victor penetrates the body wall of the other and impregnating them, forcing them to act as the female, an act commonly called "penis fencing." From here, the female lays eggs into a substrate, which hatch planktonic vestigial veliger larva, who will further evolve into adults.
Species Species in the genus Chromodoris include:
Chromodoris adeima Yonow, 1984 Chromodoris africana Eliot, 1904 Chromodoris aila Er. Marcus, 1961 Chromodoris albolimbata Bergh, 1907 Chromodoris albonotata Bergh, 1875 Chromodoris alcalai Gosliner, 2021 Chromodoris alternata Burn, 1957 Chromodoris ambigua Rudman, 1987 Chromodoris annae Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris aspersa Gould, 1852 Chromodoris balat Bonomo & Gosliner, 2020 Chromodoris baqe Bonomo & Gosliner, 2020 Chromodoris barnardi Collingwood, 1868 - Taxon inquirendum Chromodoris briqua Ev. Marcus & J. B. Burch, 1965 Chromodoris buchananae Gosliner & Behrens, 2000 Chromodoris burni Rudman, 1982 Chromodoris camoena Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris cardinalis Bergh, 1880 Chromodoris celinae Tibiriçá, Pola, Ortigosa & Cervera, 2020 Chromodoris citrina Bergh, 1874 - nomen dubium Chromodoris colemani Rudman, 1982 Chromodoris dianae Gosliner & Behrens, 1998 Chromodoris dictya Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970 Chromodoris elisabethina Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris euelpis Bergh, 1907 Chromodoris gonatophora Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris hamiltoni Rudman, 1977 Chromodoris helium Tibiriçá, Pola, Ortigosa & Cervera, 2020 Chromodoris hilaris Bergh, 1890 Chromodoris inconspicua Eliot, 1904 Chromodoris inopinata Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris iris Collingwood, 1881 Chromodoris joshi Gosliner & Behrens, 1998 Chromodoris kalawakan Bonomo & Gosliner, 2020 Chromodoris kuiteri Rudman, 1982 Chromodoris lapinigensis Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris lata Risbec, 1928 Chromodoris lentiginosa Pease, 1871 Chromodoris lineolata Hasselt, 1824 Chromodoris lochi Rudman, 1982 Chromodoris magnifica Quoy & Gaimard, 1832 : Type species. Chromodoris mandapamensis Valdes, Mollo, & Ortea, 1999 Chromodoris mariana Bergh, 1890 Chromodoris marindica Yonow, 2001 Chromodoris marpessa Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris michaeli Gosliner & Behrens, 1998 Chromodoris mollita Abraham, 1877 - Nomen dubium Chromodoris nodulosa Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris nona Baba, 1953 Chromodoris ophthalmica Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris orientalis Rudman, 1983 Chromodoris pantharella Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris papulosa Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris paupera Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris perola Ev. Marcus, 1976 Chromodoris porcata Bergh, 1889 Chromodoris pruna Goslienr, 1994 Chromodoris pustulans Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris quadricolor Rueppell & Leuckart, 1828 Chromodoris quagga Bonomo & Gosliner, 2020 Chromodoris reticulata Pease, 1860 Chromodoris rudolphi Bergh, 1880 Chromodoris splendens Eliot, 1904 Chromodoris sponsa Ehrenberg, 1831 - Nomen dubium Chromodoris striatella Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris strigata Rudman, 1982 Chromodoris tenuilinearis Farran, 1905 Chromodoris tenuis Collingwood, 1881 Chromodoris trouilloti Risbec, 1928 Chromodoris venusta Bergh, 1905 Chromodoris virginea Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris westraliensis O'Donoghue, 1924 Chromodoris willani Rudman, 1982
Synonyms Chromodoris aegialia Berghm 1904: synonym of Felimare agassizii Bergh, 1894 Chromodoris agassizii Bergh, 1894: synonym of Felimare agassizii Chromodoris alba van Hasselt, 1824 sensu Orr, 1980: synonym of Verconia nivalis Baba, 1937 Chromodoris albolineata Berghm 1879: synonym of Chromodoris lineolata van Hasselt, 1824 Chromodoris albonares Rudman, 1990: synonym of Goniobranchus albonares Chromodoris albopunctata Garrett, 1879: synonym of Goniobranchus albopunctatus Garrett, 1879 Chromodoris albopustulosa Pease, 1860: synonym of Goniobranchus albopustulosus Pease, 1860 Chromodoris alderi Collingwood, 1881: synonym of Goniobranchus alderi Chromodoris alius Rudman, 1987: synonym of Goniobranchus alius Chromodoris amoena Cheeseman, 1886: synonym of Ceratosoma amoenum Cheeseman, 1886 Chromodoris annulata Eliot, 1904: synonym of Goniobranchus annulatus Eliot, 1904 Chromodoris antonii Bertsch, 1976: synonym of Mexichromis antonii Chromodoris atopa Bergh, 1905: synonym of Ceratosoma amoenum Cheeseman, 1886 Chromodoris aureomarginata Cheeseman, 1881: synonym of Goniobranchus aureomarginatus Cheeseman, 1881 Chromodoris aureopurpurea Collingwood, 1881: synonym of Goniobranchus aureopurpureus Collingwood, 1881 Chromodoris aurigera Rudman, 1990: synonym of Goniobranchus aurigerus Chromodoris australis Risbec, 1928: synonym of Thorunna australis Chromodoris banksi Farmer, 1963: synonym of Glossodoris dalli Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris baumanni Bertsch, 1970: synonym of Glossodoris baumanni Chromodoris bennetti Angas, 1864: synonym of Hypselodoris bennetti Chromodoris bimaensis Bergh, 1905: synonym Goniobranchus bimaensis Chromodoris binza Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1963: synonym of Felimida binza Chromodoris boucheti Rudman, 1982: synonym of Chromodoris lochi Rudman, 1982 Chromodoris britoi Ortea & Pérez, 1983: synonym of Felimida binza Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1963 Chromodoris bullocki Collingwood, 1881: synonym of Hypselodoris bullocki Chromodoris californiensis Bergh, 1879: synonym of Felimare californiensis Chromodoris cantrainii Bergh, 1879: synonym of Felimare picta R. A. Philippi, 1836 Chromodoris carnea Bergh, 1889: synonym of Hypselodoris carnea Chromodoris cavae Eliot, 1904: synonym of Goniobranchus cavae Chromodoris cazae Gosliner & Behrens, 2004: synonym of Goniobranchus cazae Chromodoris charlottae Schrödl, 1999: synonym of Goniobranchus charlottae Chromodoris clavata Risbec, 1928: synonym of Chromodoris striatella Bergh, 1877 Chromodoris clenchi Russell, 1935: synonym of Felimida clenchi Chromodoris clitonota Bergh, 1905: synonym of Mexichromis lemniscata Quoy & Gaimard, 1832 Chromodoris coerulea Risso, 1818: synonym of Felimare villafranca Risso, 1818 Chromodoris coi Risbec, 1956: synonym of Goniobranchus coi Chromodoris collingwoodi Rudman, 1987: synonym of Goniobranchus collingwoodi Chromodoris conchyliata Yonow, 1984: synonym of Goniobranchus conchyliatus Chromodoris corimbae Ortea, Gofas & Á. Valdés, 1998: synonym of Felimida corimbae Chromodoris crossei Angas, 1864: synonym of Hypselodoris obscura W. Stimpson, 1855 Chromodoris dalli Bergh, 1879: synonym of Glossodoris dalli Chromodoris daphne Angas, 1864: synonym of Goniobranchus daphne Chromodoris decora Pease, 1860: synonym of Goniobranchus decorus Chromodoris diardi Kelaart, 1859: synonym of Hypselodoris infucata Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830 Chromodoris elegans Cantraine, 1835: synonym of Felimare picta R. A. Philippi, 1836 Chromodoris elegantula Philippi, 1844: synonym of Felimida elegantula Chromodoris epicuria Basedow & Hedley, 1905: synonym of Goniobranchus epicurius Chromodoris faeyeae Lance, 1968: synonym of Chromolaichma sedna Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967 Chromodoris fentoni Valdés, Gatdula, Sheridan & Herrera, 2011: synonym of Rudmania fentoni Chromodoris festiva Angas, 1864: synonym of Mexichromis festiva Chromodoris festiva A. Adams, 1861: synonym of Hypselodoris festiva A. Adams, 1861 Chromodoris fidelis Kelaart, 1858: synonym of Goniobranchus fidelis Chromodoris figurata Cheeseman, 1886: synonym of Ceratosoma amoenum Cheeseman, 1886 Chromodoris flammulata Bergh, 1905: synonym of Goniobranchus fidelis Kelaart, 1858 Chromodoris flava Eliot, 1904: synonym of Diversidoris flava Chromodoris francoisae Bouchet, 1981: synonym of Neptunazurea francoisae Chromodoris funerea Collingwood, 1881: synonym of Chromodoris lineolata van Hasselt, 1824 Chromodoris galactos Rudman & Johnson in Rudman, 1985: synonym of Goniobranchus galactos Chromodoris galexorum Bertsch, 1978: synonym of Felimida galexorum Chromodoris geminus Rudman, 1987: synonym of Goniobranchus geminus Chromodoris geometrica Risbec, 1928: synonym of Goniobranchus geometricus Chromodoris ghardagana [sic]: synonym of Hypselodoris ghardaqana Gohar & Aboul-Ela, 1957 Chromodoris glauca Bergh, 1879: synonym of Felimare californiensis Bergh, 1879 Chromodoris gleniei Kelaart, 1858: synonym of Goniobranchus gleniei Chromodoris gloriosa Bergh, 1874: synonym of Verconia varians Pease, 1871 Chromodoris godeffroyana Bergh, 1877: synonym of Hypselodoris godeffroyana Chromodoris goslineri Ortea & Valdés in Ortea, Valdés & Garcia Gómez, 1996: synonym of Felimida goslineri Chromodoris grahami Thompson, 1980: synonym of Rudmania grahami Chromodoris heatherae & Behrens, 1994: synonym of Goniobranchus heatherae Chromodoris hintuanensis Gosliner & Behrens, 1998: synonym of Goniobranchus hintuanensis Chromodoris histrio Bergh, 1877: synonym of Goniobranchus rufomaculatus Pease, 1871 Chromodoris hunterae Rudman, 1983: synonym of Goniobranchus hunterae