Hypselodoris zebra is a colourful species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of sea slug

Slug

Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

 or dorid nudibranch

Nudibranch

A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...

, a marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusk in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Chromodorididae

Chromodorididae

Chromodorididae are a taxonomic family of medium-sized to large, colorful, sea slugs; dorid nudibranchs in the superfamily Doridoidea. These are marine gastropod mollusks....

.

Description

Hypselodoris zebra is a rather large nudibranch. It has a black body with longitudinal orange lines running along the body and dorsum

Dorsum (anatomy)

In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...

. Its mantle

Mantle (mollusc)

The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...

 edge is usually white, sometimes dotted with black spots. The gills are a translucent colour outlined in black, and its rhinophores are completely black. There is some colour variation in this species.

This species can reach a total length of at least 180 mm.

The maximum recorded length is 115 mm.

Further reading

• Crozier W. J. (1916). "On the immunity coloration of some nudibranchs". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences...
  
  2: 672-675.
• Grode S. H. & Cardellina J. H. (1984). "Sesquiterpenes from the sponge Dysidea etheria and the nudibranch Hypselodoris zebra". Journal of Natural Products
  Journal of Natural Products
  The Journal of Natural Products is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, co-published by the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Chemical Society.. The editor in chief is A. Douglas Kinghorn .- History :...
  
  47(1): 76-83.