Rudmania purpurea is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.MolluscaBase eds. (2026) Rudmania purpurea (Risso, 1831) Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2026-04-19Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdes A. & Warén A. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. . ISSN 0076-2997. 397 pp.
Distribution This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea, and on the Atlantic coast of Europe and Africa from the Bay of Biscay to Cape VerdeRolán E., 2005. Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda. and west as far as the Azores.Rudman, W.B., 2001 (January 22) Chromodoris purpurea (Risso in Guérin, 1831). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Description Rudmania purpurea is a chromodorid nudibranch with a plain white to pale purple mantle edged with a line of orange-yellow. Inside the yellow margin are conspicuous white mantle glands embedded in the tissue. The rhinophores and gills are purple-pink with white tips. The body length varies between 35 mm and 50 mm.
This species was transferred from the genus Chromodoris to the genus Felimida in a revision of the family Chromodorididae using DNA characters which showed that the Atlantic species of Chromodoris formed a distinct clade.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 In yet another study in 2025, further molecular and morphological analysis warranted another change of taxonomical designation; the Felimida purpurea clade necessitated the distinction of a new genus, and Rudmania (J. P. G. Oliveira, Henryco, Ardila, Schrödl & Padula, 2025) was established therein.De Oliveira, J. P. G.; Henryco, B.; Ardila, N. E.; Schrödl, M.; Padula, V. (2025). From discovery to reclassification: a new genus and taxonomic revision of Rudmania grahami (Thompson, 1980) comb. nov. (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Chromodorididae). Marine Biodiversity. 55: 116 (17 pp.).
References
Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213 Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. page(s): 183.