Felimida is a genus of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the family Chromodorididae.Bouchet, P.; Caballer, M. (2026). Felimida. at Felimida Ev. Marcus, 1971 Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2026-04-21
Taxonomic history Many of the species currently included in the genus Felimida were previously contained in the large genus Chromodoris until a revision of the family Chromodorididae demonstrated that the name Chromodoris should be used for a smaller group of species.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. (1984) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 81 (2/3): 115-273. page(s): 130
When Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus introduced the genus in 1971, her rationale was: "As it is desirable to subdivide the numerous species of the genus Chromodoris, I allot the present material to the new genus Felimida, based upon the denticulation of the radular teeth. There are no species of Chromodoris known to have denticles on the inner side of the lateral teeth 2-4."
Felimida is a polyphyletic genus. In 2025, a clade was identified within Felimida through molecular and morphological analysis, and subsequently several species were transferred to their own genus, Rudmania.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.).
Etymology Felimida was first described by Marcus, when she proposed F. sphoni as the genus' type species as well as introduced the similar species Doris tanya. F. sphoni is named for malacologist Gale Sphon, who sent Marcus specimens of the species while working for the Los Angeles County Museum. D. tanya is named after Tanya, Sphon's cat, and the genus name Felimida allegedly refers to the Latin word for cat.
Description Marcus characterized Felimida as "Chromodoridids with unicuspidate lateral teeth, with many denticles on the outer side, and with denticles on the inner side of laterals 1-4."
Species Felimida baumanni Bertsch, 1970 Felimida binza Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1963 - harlequin sea goddess Felimida clenchi Russell, 1935 - harlequin blue doris Felimida corimbae Ortea, Gofas & Valdés, 1997 Felimida elegantula Philippi, 1844 Felimida galexorum Bertsch, 1978 Felimida ghanensis Edmunds, 1968 Felimida goslineri Ortea & Valdés, 1996 Felimida luteopunctata Gantès, 1962 Felimida luteorosea Rapp, 1827 Felimida macfarlandi Cockerell, 1901 - Macfarland's nudibranch Felimida marislae Bertsch, 1973 Felimida norrisi Farmer, 1963 Felimida ocellata Ortea, Gofas & Valdés, 1997 Felimida ponga Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970 Felimida punctilucens Bergh, 1890 Felimida regalis Ortea, Caballer & Moro, 2001 Felimida rolani Ortea, 1988 Felimida ruzafai Ortea, Bacallado & Valdés, 1992 Felimida socorroensis Behrens, Gosliner & Hermosillo, 2009 Felimida sphoni Ev. Marcus, 1971
Species currently brought into synonymy: Felimida atlantica Padula, Wirtz & Schrödl, 2017: synonym of Rudmania atlantica Felimida britoi Ortea & J. M. Pérez, 1983: synonym of Felimida binza Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1963 Felimida dalli Bergh, 1879: synonym of Chromolaichma dalli Felimida edmundsi Cervera, Garcia-Gomez & Ortea, 1989: synonym of Chromolaichma edmundsi Felimida fentoni Valdés, Gatdula, Sheridan & Herrera, 2011: synonym of Rudmania fentoni Felimida grahami T. E. Thompson, 1980: synonym of Rudmania grahami Felimida kpone Edmunds, 1981: synonym of Rudmania kpone Felimida krohni Vérany, 1846: synonym of Rudmania krohni Felimida neona Er. Marcus, 1955: synonym of Felimida clenchi Russell, 1935 Felimida paulomarcioi Domínguez, García & Troncoso, 2006): synonym of Rudmania grahami T. E. Thompson, 1980 Felimida purpurea Risso in Guérin, 1831: synonym of Rudmania purpurea Felimida rodomaculata Ortea & Valdés, 1992: synonym of Felimida luteopunctata Gantès, 1962
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