Hypselodoris gasconi
Ortea in Ortea, Valdés & García-Gómez, 1996

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

DISTRIBUTION

Mediterranean

PHOTO

Cap d'Antibes, 20 m, Antibes, France, Mediterranean sea, 05 June 2006, vertical rock. Length: 15 mm. Photographer: Dominique Horst.

Another interesting 'blue chromodorid' from the Mediterranean which is very similar in colour to some forms of H. villafranca  and juvenile H. orsinii.  The background colour of the mantle and the body is dark blue. The mantle has a median white line running from between the rhinophores back to the gills where it forms a ring around the edge of the gill pocket. There can be a thin irregular white line on each side half way between the midline and the mantle edge. The mantle edge has a deep orange border which can change to white around the anterior and posterior ends. The blue rhinophores have a white line up the posterior midline, and the blue gills have a white line along the edge of the rachis. There is a white line along each side of the body and these join posteriorly to form a single mediodorsal line on the posterior tip of the foot.

Ortea et al, (1996) say that H. gasconi can be differentiated from H. villafranca because the mantle border in H. gasconi is a 'strong' orange. There seem to be few anatomical differences between the two species.

• Ortea, J., Valdes, A. & Garcia-Gomez, J.C. (1996) Review of the atlantic species of the Family Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) of the blue chromatic group. Avicennia (Suppl. 1): 1-160

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