Hypselodoris bullocki
(Collingwood, 1881) - Page 1

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Tropical western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean.

PHOTO

A, Koumac, New Caledonia, October 1993, 18mm long alive, feeding on sponge. B,C, Pelorus Is, Queensland, June 1983. D, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, June 1987. PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.
E, Heron Is, Queensland, January 1983. PHOTO: Geoff Avern.

See Page 2., Page 3.
See Hypselodoris apolegma, which may be a colour form.

Originally described from the South China Sea, this species is found in the western Pacific as far south as southern Queensland. It is also found in north western Australia and Thailand. It ranges in colour from a pale straw, or even white background to a deep purplish pink. There is usually a thin opaque white line at the mantle border, but some specimens have a reddish purple border. Typically the gills and rhinophores are yellow or orange with a basal pink or purplish band. In anatomical studies I have been unable to find any consistent differences to show that differing colour patterns represent differnet species. Unpublished studies of the anatomy show that this species should probably be placed in the genus Risbecia.

Reference:
• Collingwood, C. (1881) On some new species of nudibranchiate mollusca from the eastern seas. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology, 2: 123-140.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (May 6) Hypselodoris bullocki (Collingwood, 1881) - Page 1. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/hypsbull

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