Hypselodoris lacteola
Rudman, 1995

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from New Caledonia

PHOTO

South Lagoon, east entrance to Canal Woodin, New Caledonia, 36m, 30 July 1987, MG294, Paratype, 12 mm long preserved, AM C167919. Photo: P. Laboute.

The mantle is white with purplish red gills and rhinophores. There is a tinge of reddish purple on the posterior tip of the foot. The rhinophore stalk is purplish red and the anterior edges of the rhinophore club and the lamellae are the same colour. There is a background core of white in the rhinophore club. There are six simple gills. They are translucent white with purplish red edges. The mantle is elongately ovate, with the anterior end being slightly wider, giving the body a spatula-like shape. The body is relatively high and the mantle overlap is not greatly developed. The gills are simple, and the position of the gills in one photograph suggest that they are probably vibratile. The radular formula of a specimen, 12mm long preserved, is 30.0.30 x 41. All the teeth are bicuspid and lack denticles. The jaw rodlets are unicuspid.

  • Rudman, W.B. (1995) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: further species from New Caledonia and the Noumea romeri colour group. Molluscan Research, 16: 1-43.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (February 1) Hypselodoris lacteola Rudman, 1995. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/hypslact