Chromodoris coi
Encyclopedia
Chromodoris coi is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of very colorful sea slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

, a dorid nudibranch
Nudibranch
A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...

, a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae
Chromodorididae
Chromodorididae are a taxonomic family of medium-sized to large, colorful, sea slugs; dorid nudibranchs in the superfamily Doridoidea. These are marine gastropod mollusks....

.

Distribution

This species occurs in the tropical Western Pacific Ocean from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

.

Description

Chromodoris coi has a white body and foot, but is instantly recognizable for its distinct dorsal pattern. The outer part of the dorsum
Dorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...

 is yellow, separated from the inner light-brown part by a wavy white and black line. The mantle is brown, edged with a thin purple line. The gills and rhinophores range in color between different individuals from translucent white, through pale-yellow and light-brown.

This species reaches at least 50 mm in length.

Ecology

Like many slugs in the genus Chromodoris
Chromodoris
Chromodoris is a genus of very colorful sea slugs or dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Chromodorididae. -Species:Species in the genus Chromodoris include:* Chromodoris africana Eliot, 1904* Chromodoris aila Er...

, Chromodoris coi feeds on sponges. It has been seen feeding on the sponge Chelonaplysilla violacea.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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