Hypselodoris? sp e373
35mm
This undescribed nudibranch is
probably a species of Hypselodoris, but so far that is just a guess
based on the shape of the body and gills. The internal anatomy will need to
be checked to more certainly place it, although the upright shape of the egg
mass (not shown) confirms it is not Chromodoris (where we formerly
had it listed). So far, more than a dozen specimens have been found, most of
them at night on the leeward seaward reef of Kwajalein Atoll. One was found
by day under a rock on a lagoon pinnacle. The largest individual measured about
35mm stretched out.
Below is a what would appear to
be a juvenile.
Here is an even smaller specimen
embedded within a colony of prey sponge.
One found in a surge channel cave
on the seaward reef at night on 30 January 2016.
Another specimen from a night dive
on the western Kwajalein Atoll seaward reef, in a small cave at a depth of about
15m on 10 November 2016.
Created
16 December 2005
Updated 8 April 2021
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