Hypselodoris nigrostriata? from Papua New Guinea

May 5, 2000
From: Wayne Ellis

Dear Bill,
In an earlier (February 1999) message of mine, you identified an animal from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea as Hypselodoris nigrostriata. I am just wondering if it is Hypselodoris zephyra?

Wayne Ellis

glaskin@ozemail.com.au

Ellis, W., 2000 (May 5) Hypselodoris nigrostriata? from Papua New Guinea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2359

Dear Wayne,
Good question. The short answer is I don't think so. Hypselodoris zephyra, which was described after your message, is certainly very similar but there is one major point of difference, and that is the shape and colour of the gills. The gills of H. zephyra are described as 'simply pinnate' and uniformly orange, whereas the gills in H. nigrostriata are triangular in cross section. This can be clearly seen in your photo because the two outer corners of each gill are lined with orange (as of course is the inner edge). The rest of the gills are white or faintly translucent orange.

When I looked at your photos again just now, I thought that your animal was H. zephyra, and it is certainly very similar to Vinka Stenhouse's photo of H. zephyra from Vanuatu, but if you look at the gills of her animal they are simple and uniformly orange. The white spots or glands? up the outer edge of the gills in your photo are not present in specimens from East Africa but overall I would say your animals are H. nigrostriata.

One other difference between the two species is that in H. nigrostriata the mantle glands are small and are found all around the mantle edge except for a small region midway down each side. In H. zephyra there are a few large posterior glands and a few small anterolateral glands - none laterally. I can't be 100% sure but it seems to me that in your photo, the way the mantle sits would suggest small glands along the left edge of the mantle, typical of H. nigrostriata - though that may just be wishful thinking on my part.

It would certainly be interesting if both species co-existed along the boundary of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Any views welcome.

Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (May 5). Comment on Hypselodoris nigrostriata? from Papua New Guinea by Wayne Ellis. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2359

Factsheet

Hypselodoris nigrostriata

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