Hypselodoris malacitana? from Canary Ids

November 21, 2002
From: Isabel Creo

Dear Bill:
I'd like you to help me with the identification of this nudibranch from El Hierro Island, which is the smallest of the Canary Ids and located in the extreme southwest of the chain.

At first sight it seems to be Hypselodoris picta, but its rhinophores don't have the uniform blue that was to be expected. Another strange thing is the number and shape of gills. The photos were taken in El Hierro this year, and there were three more identical specimens in the area.

Thanks in advance.
Isabel Creo

icreo@soluziona.com

Creo, I., 2002 (Nov 21) Hypselodoris malacitana? from Canary Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8437

Dear Isabel,
These 'blue chromodorids' are indeed easy to misidentify, so like you I hesitate to sound to confident. However I am pretty sure this is Hypselodoris malacitana. The yellow mantle border with a thin dark blue line on the inner and outer edge seems quite characteristic, as does the lighter blue submarginal band. If it is H. malacitana it is an interesting find, for as far as can can determine this species has previously only been recorded from the Spanish coast of the western Mediterranean.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Nov 21). Comment on Hypselodoris malacitana? from Canary Ids by Isabel Creo. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8437

Factsheet

Hypselodoris malacitana

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