Rudmania krohni (Vérany, 1846)
WoRMS Taxonomic Information
Current classification
| Superdomain | Biota |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Mollusca |
| Class | Gastropoda |
| Subclass | Heterobranchia |
| Infraclass | Euthyneura |
| Subterclass | Ringipleura |
| Superorder | Nudipleura |
| Order | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder | Doridida |
| Infraorder | Doridoidei |
| Superfamily | Chromodoridoidea |
| Family | Chromodorididae |
| Subfamily | Chromodoridinae |
| Genus | Rudmania |
| Species | Rudmania krohni (Verany, 1846) |
Taxonomic note: The European Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genus Chromodoris and Hypselodoris have been reconsidered. After molecular analysis of the Chromodorididae performed by Johnson & Gosliner (2012, Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): 33479) the Hypselodoris species have been included in the genus Felimare Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967 and the Chromodoris species have been included in the genus Felimida Ev. Marcus, 1971.
A recently published study (de Oliveira et al., 2025) assigns this species to a new genus based on morphological characters (absence of a rachidian tooth and the presence of a long, thin vagina) and molecular evidence, which separate the members of the newly erected genus Rudmania from other species of Felimida.Synonyms
- Chromodoris krohni (Vérany, 1846)
- Chromodoris trilineata Ihering, 1880
- Doris krohni Vérany, 1846 (original)
- Felimida krohni (Vérany, 1846)
Description
This species of Chromodorididae can reach 25 mm in length and has an elongated shape. The general coloration of the body is soft pink, slightly semi-transparent over the mantle border. On the center of the dorsum there is usually a yellow line running from the gill sheath until further ahead of the rhinophores and two lateral lines that continue behind the gill, where tehy join, surrounding the gill. These yellow lines can be discontinuous at some points and there may also be other spots or irregular scores in some big sized specimens. In some cases the dorsal lines could be whitish. The edge of the dorsum has a yellow marginal band which surrounds it completely. The rhinophores are alaminar and semitransparent in the base area while the tip has 12-15 carmine coloured lamellae. There are 5-8 carmine or pink coloured gill leaves surrounding the anus; gill leaves are narrow and have lamellae on both sides of the spine, alternating large and small lamellae. The foot shares the same color of the body and the mouth has two short oral palps. The tail often has a whitish dorsal streak, similar to the one on the margins of the foot posterior area.
Biology
This species tends to live in dimly lit rocky walls with plenty of sciaphilic algae (Halimeda tuna, Peyssonnelia sp.), hydrarians, bryozoans and sponges. It has been cited living on sponges (Hymeniacidon sanguinea, Ircinia sp.) but it has not been proven yet which species constitutes its food. Sometimes it can be found under rocks in the subtidal, down to 50 m, and in meadows of Posidonia oceanica. The spawn consists of a flattened spiral containing eggs about 90 microns in diameter.
Etymology
- Rudmania. In honor of William (Bill) Rudman for his extensive contribution on the systematics, taxonomy, and ecology of nudibranchs. Rudman provided large reviews on the Chromodorididae species groups and their color patterns.
- Krohni. In honor of Dr. August David Krohn, (1803-1891), Russian zoologyst of German origin, he was a pionneer of marine biology and exchanged correspondence with Charles Darwin. He wrote about tunicates and also wrote essential chaetognath works in 1844 & 1853.
Distribution
F. krohni lives in the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of southern Europe, also in the coasts of northern Africa. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been cited in all coastal areas, both Atlantic and Mediterranean, also in Canary islands, Açores and the Balearic islands. In Catalonia it has been cited in many places of the Costa Brava: Es Caials, Cadaques, Roses, L’Escala, Cala Aiguafreda, Sa Tuna, Tossa de Mar, Cala Llevadó, Cala Sant Francesc, Blanes; also in waters off Mataró.
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Abundance
| Western Mediterranean: | ★★★☆☆ |
| Eastern Mediterranean: | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Atlantic Ocean: | ★☆☆☆☆ |
This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Rudmania krohni based on our own records.
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Further reading
Cite this article as:
Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2025) "Rudmania krohni" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 15/05/2012. Accessed: 03/09/2026. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=426)
