Chromodorididae

{{Short description|Family of gastropods}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Glossodoris atromarginata 1.jpg | image_caption = ''Doriprismatica atromarginata'' | taxon = Chromodorididae | authority = Bergh, 1891 | type_genus = ''Chromodoris'' | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = See text | synonyms_ref = <ref name="WoRMS">Bouchet, P. (2025) [https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=23003 Chromodorididae Bergh, 1891] Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2026-04-22</ref> | synonyms = }}

'''Chromodorididae''', or '''chromodorids''', are a taxonomic family of colourful sea slugs; dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Chromodoridoidea.<ref name=WoRMS/> The over 390 described species are primarily found in tropical and subtropical waters, as members of coral reef communities, specifically associated with their sponge prey. The chromodorids are the most speciose family of opisthobranchs.<ref name="Johnson 2012" /> They range in size from less than {{Convert abbreviated|10|mm|4=1}} to over {{Convert abbreviated|30|cm}}, although most species are approximately {{Convert abbreviated|15-30|mm|4=1}} in size.<ref name="Gosliner 2008"/>

Although, they have a worldwide distribution, most species are found in the Indo-Pacific region. A scientific paper published in 2007, found the most widespread chromodorid genera, (''Mexichromis'', ''Chromodoris'', ''Glossodoris'' and ''Hypselodoris'') to be paraphyletic or polyphyletic.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Turner | first1 = LM | last2 = Wilson | first2 = NG | year = 2008 | title = Polyphyly across oceans: a molecular phylogeny of the Chromodorididae (Mollusca, Nudibranchia) | journal = Zoologica Scripta | volume = 37 | pages = 23–42 | doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.2007.00310.x| s2cid = 86754600 }}</ref>

The family Cadlinidae Bergh, 1891 has been considered a synonym of the Chromodorididae.<ref name="Rudman_1984"/> Research by R.F. Johnson in 2011 <ref name="Johnson 2011" /> has shown that ''Cadlina'' does not belong to the family Chromodorididae. She has therefore brought back the name Cadlinidae from synonymy with Chromodorididae. The chromodorid nudibranchs without ''Cadlina'' are now monophyletic and turn out to be a possible sister to the family Actinocyclidae. ''Cadlina'', ''Aldisa'', and ''Inuda'' are the only three genera currently classified in the Cadlinidae.<ref name=Cadlinidae>MolluscaBase eds. (2026) [https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=151277 Cadlinidae Bergh, 1891.] Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2026-04-22</ref>

A comprehensive phylogeny of the chromodorid nudibranchs found every one of the 14 traditional chromodorid genera were either non-monophyletic, or rendered another genus paraphyletic. Additionally, both the monotypic genera ''Verconia'' and ''Diversidoris'' are nested within clades. The authors presented a new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs, which used molecular data to untangle evolutionary relationships and at the same time retains a historical connection to traditional systematics by using generic names attached to type species as clade names.<ref name="Johnson 2012" /> All Chromodorid nudibranchs feed on sponges.<ref>Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jul 21) [http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20272 Review of chromodorid feeding.] <nowiki>[Message in]</nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.</ref><ref>Rudman W.B. & Bergquist, P.R., 2007. ''A review of feeding specificity in the sponge-feeding Chromodorididae (Nudibranchia: Mollusca).'' Molluscan Research '''27(2)''': 60–88.</ref>

==Genera== Genera within the family Chromodorididae include<ref name=WoRMS/>:

* Subfamiliy Chromodoridinae ** ''Ardeadoris'' Rudman, 1984 ** ''Berlanguella'' Ortea, Bacallado & Valdés, 1992 ** ''Chromodoris'' Alder and Hancock, 1855 – the type genus ** ''Chromolaichma'' Bertsch, 1977 ** ''Diversidoris'' Rudman, 1987 ** ''Doriprismatica'' d'Orbigny, 1839 ** ''Felimida'' Ev. Marcus, 1971 ** ''Glossodoris'' Ehrenberg, 1831 ** ''Goniobranchus'' Pease, 1866 ** ''Neptunazurea'' Ribeiro, García-Méndez, Valdés, Schrödl & Padula, 2025 ** ''Rudmania'' J. P. G. Oliveira, Henryco, Ardila, Schrödl & Padula, 2025 ** ''Tyrinna'' Bergh, 1898 ** ''Verconia'' Pruvot-Fol, 1931 – synonym: ''Noumea'' Risbec, 1928

* Subfamily Miamirinae ** ''Ceratosoma'' J. E. Gray and M. E. Gray, 1850 ** ''Felimare'' Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967 ** ''Hypselodoris'' Stimpson, 1855 ** ''Mexichromis'' Bertsch, 1977 ** ''Miamira'' Bergh, 1874 **''Thorunna'' Bergh, 1878

; Genera brought into synonymy : * ''Actinodoris'' Ehrenberg, 1831 : synonym of ''Chromodoris'' Alder & Hancock, 1855 * ''Babaina'' Odhner in Franc, 1968 : synonym of ''Thorunna'' Bergh, 1878 * ''Casella'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854 : synonym of ''Glossodoris'' Ehrenberg, 1831 * ''Crepidodoris'' Pagenstecher, 1877 : synonym of ''Doriprismatica'' A. d'Orbigny, 1839 * ''Digidentis'' Rudman, 1984 : synonym of ''Thorunna'' Bergh, 1878 * ''Durvilledoris'' Rudman, 1984 : synonym of ''Mexichromis'' Bertsch, 1977 * ''Jeanrisbecia'' Franc, 1968 : synonym of ''Hypselodoris'' Stimpson, 1855 * ''Lissodoris'' Odhner, 1934 : synonym of ''Goniobranchus'' Pease, 1866 * ''Noumea'' Risbec, 1928 (preoccupied by a beetle): synonym of ''Verconia'' Pruvot-Fol, 1931 * ''Orodoris'' Bergh, 1875 : synonym of ''Miamira'' Bergh, 1874 * ''Pectenodoris'' Rudman, 1984 : synonym of ''Mexichromis'' Bertsch, 1977 * ''Pterodoris'' Ehrenberg, 1831 : synonym of ''Hypselodoris'' Stimpson, 1855 * ''Risbecia'' Odhner, 1934 : synonym of ''Hypselodoris'' W. Stimpson, 1855 * ''Rosodoris'' Pruvot-Fol, 1954 : synonym of ''Glossodoris'' Ehrenberg, 1831

<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed"> Image:Glossodoris cruenta 3.jpg|''Ardeadoris cruenta'' Image:Ceratosoma tenue - Purple Edged Ceratosoma Nudibranch (2649065671).jpg|''Ceratosoma trilobatum'' Image:Chromodoris quadricolor.jpg|''Chromodoris magnifica'' Image:Nudibranch - Noumea crocea 3.jpg|''Diversidoris crocea'' Image:Glossodoris atromarginata.jpg|''Doriprismatica atromarginata'' Image:Nudibrankioa.jpg|''Felimare cantabrica'' Image:Chromodoris krohni 2 (Vérany, 1846) .jpg|''Rudmania krohni'' Image:Glossodoris cincta.jpg|''Glossodoris cincta'' Image:ChromodorisGeminus.jpg|''Goniobranchus geminus'' Image:Hypselodoris infucata.jpg|''Hypselodoris confetti'' (left) and ''Hypselodoris roo'' (right) Image:Mexichromis multituberculata 1.jpg|''Mexichromis multituberculata'' Image:Noumea norba.jpg|''Verconia norba'' Image:Thorunna australis003.jpg|''Thorunna florens'' </gallery>

==References== {{Commons category|Chromodorididae}} {{Reflist |refs= <ref name="Gosliner 2008">{{cite book |last1=Gosliner |first1=T.M. |last2=Behrens |first2=D.W. |last3=Valdes |first3=A. |year=2008 |title=Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs: A field guide to the World's most diverse fauna |publisher=Sea Challengers Natural History Books and the California Academy of Sciences }}</ref> <ref name="Johnson 2011">{{cite journal |last=Johnson |first=R.F. |year=2011 |title=''Breaking family ties: taxon sampling and molecular phylogeny of chromodorid nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda)'' |journal=Zoologica Scripta |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=137–157 |doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00457.x|s2cid=82123571 }}</ref> <ref name="Johnson 2012">{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=R.F. |last2=Gosliner |first2=T.M. |year=2012 |title=''Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs'' |journal=PLoS ONE |volume=7 |issue=4 |article-number=e33479 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0033479 |pmid=22506002 |pmc=3323602 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...733479J |language=en |doi-access=free }}</ref> <ref name="Rudman_1984">{{cite journal |last=Rudman |first=W.B. |date=June 1984 |title=''The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera'' |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=81 |issue=2/3 |pages=115–273 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1984.tb01174.x |language=en }}</ref> }}

Category:Chromodorididae Category:Taxa named by Rudolph Bergh