Hypselodoris saintvincentius

Hypselodoris saintvincentius is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[1]

Hypselodoris saintvincentius
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Hypselodoris
Species:
H. saintvincentius
Binomial name
Hypselodoris saintvincentius
(Burn, 1962)[1]

Distribution

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This nudibranch is known only from Southern and Southwestern Australia.[1]

This species was described from the intertidal zone at Coobowie, west coast of St Vincent Gulf, South Australia 35°02′39″S 137°44′24″E / 35.044260°S 137.739888°E / -35.044260; 137.739888. It is related to the widespread tropical species Hypselodoris infucata and the similar Australian species Hypselodoris obscura. It has been reported from depths to 12 m and from Western Australia.[2]

Description

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Hypselodoris saintvincentius has a dark blue-black body which is covered in hundreds of small black and white spots. There is typically a creamy-white irregular, lined pattern present on its dorsum. The gills and rhinophores are orange, sometimes outlined in white.

This species can reach a total length of at least 40 mm and has been observed feeding on sponges from the genus Dysidea.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "The Sea Slug Forum - Hypselodoris saintvincentius". 2010-07-15.
  2. ^ Rudman, W.B., 1998 (November 28) Hypselodoris saintvincentius (Burn, 1962). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  • Johnson, R. F. and Valdés, A. (2001) The Hypselodoris infucata, H. obscura and H. saintvincentius species complex (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Chromodorididae), with remarks on the genus Brachyclanis Ehrenberg, 1831. Journal of Natural History 35: 1371-1398.
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