Hypselodoris obscura
Stimpson, 1855

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Southeastern Australia from Southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.

PHOTO

UPPER: Callala Point, Jervis Bay, southern New South Wales, November 1984.
LOWER: Solitary Is, Coffs Harbour Region, northern New South Wales, March 1988
PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.

Probably part of a complex of related species including Hypselodoris saintvincentius found in South Australia, and Hypselodoris infucata which has a wide Indo-West Pacific distribution.

The colour form in the upper photo, with a translucent greyish background colour is found throughout the species' range. The blue colour form (lower photo) is common only in the northern part of its range (southern Queensland and northern New South Wales), and only on rare occasions is seen as far south as Sydney. The photo of both colour forms mating (see Akos Lumnitzer's 28 Nov 1998 message) indicates that they are colour forms of the same species.

Reference:
• Rudman, W.B. (1984) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 81: 115-273.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (November 28) Hypselodoris obscura Stimpson, 1855. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/hypsobsc

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