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This species has been observed on Mayotte, Moheli, Madagascar and Seychelles Islands

Order : Nudibranchia Suborder : Euctenidiacea Superfamily : Doridoidea Family : Chromodorididae Distribution : Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea Maximal size : 80 mm Abundance : Species characteristics : The groud colour is black with two white bands of variable thickness running back from the anterior end between the rhinophores to join around the gill pocket but not extending to orange mantle border anteriorly or posteriorly The mantle has a broad pale orange tending to yellow mantle skirt border and then an inner band of white. No white line at the margin. The gills and rhinophores are orange and there is a thin orange border to the rhinophores and gills pockets.
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Sully Bachel Madagascar, Betofaka bay, Nosy be, 12-14 m, 22 July 2010, size : 40 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods
   See more about : Chromodoris africana variability in Southwest Indian ocean

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow and Hsini Lin
    Material examined by Bill Rudman (1982).
           2 specimens 2 8and 35 mm preserved, 30 March 1977, Between Cacazou and Vatou Islets, Paris Museum
    Synonymous : (according Rudman, 1977)
          - Chromodoris elizabethina B., var. africana, Eliot, 1904

Bibliographic data :

In some specimen the two white bands of the mantle may join anteriorly the white sub-marginal band.
   The mantle is much wider than the foot and there is a considerable overhang. The very wide mantle of C. africana distinguishes it from all other similarly coloured species.
   The gills are basically simple, but in many specimens there is a tendency for some of the gills to have one or more secondary branches
   The foot is black with a wide orange border and a white inner border. There is a median bluish white stripe along each side which joins into a median stripe along the posterior dorsal midline
   The orange and white border of the mantle shows through on the underside but the white band appears bluish.
   The sole of the foot is bluish and the head is pale blue.
   The oral tentacles are orange.
   The preferred food, or one of the preferred foods of a whole group of similarly coloured chromodorids seems to be the bright red sponge Negombata sp.
   Chromodoris africana and C. magnifica are similar but :
          - The orange or yellow border of C. africana is right at the edge whereas the orange border of C. magnifica is considerably in from the edge ( it has a white rim)
          - The rhinophores and gills of C. africana are the same colour as the border whereas in C. magnifica they are red, a distinctly colour from the border.
          - C. africana is a Western Indian ocean and red sea species, C. magnifica is a West pacific species.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Chromodoris africana
   Nudipixel Chromodoris africana

Publications :

Eliot, C.N.E. (1904). On some nudibranchs from East Africa and Zanzibar, part IV. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1904:1:380
   Rudman, W.B. (1977) Chromodorid opisthobranch Mollusca from East Africa and the tropical West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 61 : 351-397
   Rudman, W.B. (1982) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris quadricolor, C. lineolata and Hypselodoris nigrolineata colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 76 : 183-241

Other photos of Chromodoris africana :

Alain Barrère Madagascar, Andavadoaka, 2005

The gills are basically simple, but in many specimens there is a tendency for some of the gills to have one or more secondary branches.

Olivier Le Bris Mayotte, 5 12 2008 The gills are basically simple, but in many specimens there is a tendency for some of the gills to have one or more secondary branches.

Marina Poddubetskaia Mayotte, "Banc Laclochèterie", Handrema, 16 m, 11 November 2003, size : 15 mm Probably a juvenile form.

Alain Barrère Madagascar, Andavadoaka, 2005 The foot is black with a wide orange border (a) and a white inner border(b). There is a median bluish white stripe (c) along each side which joins into a median stripe along the posterior dorsal midline

Marina Poddubetskaia Mayotte, "Récif de Peïtro", Kongou, 14 m, 15 November 2003, size : 60 mm The very wide mantle of C. africana distinguishes it from all other similarly coloured species

Sully Bachel Madagascar, ile Sainte Marie, October 2008 According Nathalie Yonow. "The paler yellow margin with no white line on the edge, and the yellow rhinophore and gill rims indicate C. africana."   Identified as C. africana by Richard Willan in Nudipixel The black longitudinal stripes on the dorsum are so broad that they have fused into a solid black zone with barely a hint of either of the two white lines that are normally present.

Nathalie Bazard Madagascar, Nosy bé

See more about : Chromodoris africana variability in Southwest Indian ocean 

Mohéli, Chromodoris africana, at Ouénéfou, by Florence Trentin 

Mayotte, Chromodoris africana, at Passe en S, by Matthias Deuss