Which nudi am I?

[alcina]

Am I Chromodoris westraliensis? The white at the front is a little disconcerting. http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=chrowest

Or

Am I Chromodoris annae Not really enough white and this one's orange band seems pretty solid. http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=chroanna

 

[ScubaJW]

Looks like Elizabeth's Chromodoris from looking at http://www.exmouthdiving.com.au/images/photos/fotos/foto2d.jpg

 

[alcina]

Good guess, but can't be...has the black pits that are meant to only be found on the two choices I listed.

Unless of course, they are wrong and Chromodoris elisabethina can have the black pits, too.

 

[justleesa]

Black pits?

 

[alcina]

Yup, in the blue there are black dots or pits. Kinda hard to see on some monitors, but definitely there. They help narrow these blue/black/orange nudis down to only two choices....I keep going back and forth between them, but will probably lean towards C. annae

 

[ScubaJW]

I looked around the websites, I still believe it's Chromodoris elisabethina, see a better picture, looks like it has black pits in the blue area: http://www.divefroggies.com/uw474_06_ga05.html

It can't be Chromodoris annae because there is no black line in the middle of blue area while C. elisbethina does.

It definitely not Chromodoris westraliensis because of the patterns and colors.

Haha, hope you find the correct ID to this nudibranch!

 

[justleesa]

Yup, in the blue there are black dots or pits. Kinda hard to see on some monitors, but definitely there...[/i]

I think I see what you are talking about...the black spot that look like pores or something like that, right?

In the one possibility you posted the gills, feelers and trim seems to be more yellow - not orange, as in your picture. Do they come in more yellow or more orange or is it a lighting thing?

 

[alcina]

ScubaJW - Thanks for your diligence on this! I think the nudi in the link may misidentified - that animal looks almost exactly like the middle photo of Chromodoris annae http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=chroanna

And the "experts" agree, as far as I can find, that these black pitted regions are either C. westraliensis or C. annae so this little guy must be one of the two.

We get massive colour variations in our nudis and fish and id'ing nudis from photos is notroriously difficult! With this one's deep orange rhinos and gills and margin, I would really lean towards C. westraliensis. But the other markings are very close to C. annae! It was his very unusual, but so close to "normal", markings that made me stop in the first place!

Off to Bill Rudman yet again to see what he thinks

Totally appreciate the input and the ideas so keep em coming!

 

[justleesa]

We get massive colour variations in our nudis and fish and id'ing nudis from photos is notroriously difficult! With this one's deep orange rhinos and gills and margin, I would really lean towards C. westraliensis. But the other markings are very close to C. annae! It was his very unusual, but so close to "normal", markings that made me stop in the first place!

How interesting! Any info why this happens?

 

[alcina]

I don't really know. Something to do with our location and the various currents that go along the coast. And likely that we are so remote that many creatures/variations simply haven't been seen that often, if at all!