Mexichromis tura

Mexichromis tura
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Mexichromis
Species:
M. tura
Binomial name
Mexichromis tura
(Marcus & Marcus, 1967)[1]
Synonyms
  • Chromodoris tura Marcus & Marcus, 1967 (original combination)
  • Glossodoris tura (Marcus & Marcus, 1967)
  • Thorunna tura (Marcus & Marcus, 1967)

Mexichromis tura is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[2][3]

Distribution

This species is recorded from the Gulf of California to Panama and the Pacific Ocean coast of Mexico.[4] It is considered to be rare.[5][6]

Description

The central part of the mantle in Mexichromis tura is dark blue with irregular yellow spots and is surrounded by a series of concentric bands. Within the edge of the dark blue area there is a row of white spots which may merge into a line, then a broad pale blue area, a narrower black band and at the edge of the mantle a bright yellow line. The rhinophores are black and the gill leaves are white with the outer third black. This is a small animal, growing to 10 mm (0.39 in) in length.[4][7]

Ecology

References

  1. ^ Marcus Ev.; Marcus Er. (1967). American opisthobranch mollusks Part I, Tropical American opisthobranchs, Part II, Opisthobranchs from the Gulf of California. Studies in Tropical Oceanography. 6: 1–256, pl. 1.
  2. ^ MolluscaBase (2018). Mexichromis tura (Marcus & Marcus, 1967). Accessed on 2019-01-22.
  3. ^ 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): 209
  4. ^ a b Behrens, D. W., & Hermosillo, A. (2005) Eastern Pacific nudibranchs, a guide to the opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America. vi + 137 pp., 314 photos. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California, page 85.
  5. ^ Kerstitch, A., and H. Bertsch. 1988. Mexichromis tura: range extension of a rarely observed nudibranch. Veliger 30 (4): 421.
  6. ^ Bertsch, H., 2018. Mexichromis tura The Slug Site, Miller, M. ed, accessed 2019-01-22.
  7. ^ Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 208