Hoplodoris nodulosa
(Angas, 1864)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Southern Australia from New South Wales to Western Australia. Also found throughout New Zealand

PHOTO

Upper right: White Horse Point, Balmain, Sydney, intertidal, Coll: I. Loch, 20 June 1982.[C133935] Lower left: Sandy Beach, N of Coffs Hbr, N NSW, intertidal, Coll: G. Avern, 20 May 1982. [C133693]. Lower right: Gerroa, NSW, 26 Sept. 1982, Coll: D. Bushell, intertidal.{C135412]. Photos: Bill Rudman.

Grows to about 40 mm. Densely pustulose mantle except in a median band behind the rhinophores where the pustules are often absent or very reduced in size. Colour normally a mottled brown or yellowish brown often with the median band being a darker colour than the rest of the mantle. It is common intertidally but is also found to about 8 m.

There are a number of other similar nodulose dorids which have recently been revised. See generic review of Hoplodoris. In New Zealand this species was known as Homoiodoris novaezelandiae Bergh, 1904 until Miller's review (1991) which showed that it was a species of Hoplodoris. On the evidence then available it was considered distinct from the eastern Australian Hoplodoris nodulosa. However, in Fahey & Gosliner's revision of the genus (2003), H. novaezelandiae is considered to be anatomically identical to H. nodulosa.

  • Angas, G.F. (1864). Description d'espèces nouvelles appartenant à plusieurs genres de Mollusques Nudibranches des environs de Port-Jackson (Nouvelles-Galles du Sud), accompagnée de dessins faits d'après nature. Journal de Conchyliologie, 12: 43-70
  • Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. (2003) Mistaken identities: On the Discodorididae genera Hoplodoris Bergh, 1880 and Carminodoris Bergh, 1889 (Opisthobranchia, Nudibranchia). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 54(10): 169-208.
  • Miller, M. C. (1991) On the identity of the dorid nudibranch Homoiodoris novaezelandiae Bergh, 1904 (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia). Journal of Natural History 25: 293-304.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (March 14) Hoplodoris nodulosa (Angas, 1864). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/hoplnodu

Related messages

  1. Re: Hoplodoris sp? from Townsville, QLD
    From: David Mullins, March 18, 2008
  2. Hoplodoris sp? from Townsville, QLD
    From: Melanie Wood, February 29, 2008
  3. Hoplodoris flammea? from Reunion Island
    From: Hugues Flodrops, May 3, 2007
  4. The identity of Homoiodoris novaezelandiae
    From: Bill Rudman, November 10, 2006
  5. Hoplodoris nodulosa from Moeraki, South Island, New Zealand
    From: Kimberley Seaward, November 10, 2006
  6. Hoplodoris nodulosa from Nelson Bay
    From: Dave Harasti, October 23, 2003
  7. Unknown nudibranch from central New South Wales
    From: Erik Schloegl, March 15, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages