Hypselodoris marci from Brazil

Dear Armando,
This is an interesting find. It certainly has similarities to Hypselodoris acriba, and to Hypselodoris sp. 4, but I think it is what Eveline Marcus described as Hypselodoris marci, That species was described from specimens from nthn Brazil and Venezuela, but Eveline Marcus sent me a photo of an animal from  'Ilha Dos Porcos' which I think refers to a place just south of Rio de Janeiro. Perhaps you could confirm that for me? I have also included here a sketch of the preserved animal [Fig 40] from Marcus (1970).

One immediate difference is the colour of the rhinophores - white with blue tip in H. marci, and completely blue in H. acriba.  It is possible that Hypselodoris marci is a colour form of H. acriba, but we know so little about these animals, that it is impossible to be sure. More photos of them and their eggs and food sponges would be a great help, as would more anatomical information. In a recent paper, Ortea, Valdés, & García-Gómez, (1996) identify a different species as H. marci, but that is the species which is known on the Forum as Hypselodoris sp. 5 .

• Marcus, Ev. (1970) Opisthobranchs from northern Brazil. Bulletin of Marine Science, 20: 922-951.
• Ortea, J., Valdés, A. & and García-Gómez, J.C. (1996) Revisión de las especies atlánticas de la familia Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) de grupo cromático azul. [Review of the Atlantic species of the family Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) of the blue chromatic group.] Avicennia, 1996, Suppl. 1: 1-165.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman