Hypselodoris zebrina
Encyclopedia
Hypselodoris zebrina is a species
of colourful sea slug
or dorid nudibranch
, a marine
gastropod mollusk in the family
Chromodorididae
. After initially being described in south-eastern India in 1864, this species was not seen again until 2002, nearly 150 years later.
from India to Thailand.
. The mantle edge is often yellow. On the dorsum
there are purple lines and yellow dots. The gills and rhinophores are white, outlined in red.
This species can reach a total length of at least 50 mm.
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 colourful 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....
. After initially being described in south-eastern India in 1864, this species was not seen again until 2002, nearly 150 years later.
Distribution
This nudibranch is found in the Indo-Pacific OceanIndo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
from India to Thailand.
Description
Hypselodoris zebrina has a white body which has purple dots running longitudinally beneath its mantleMantle (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...
. The mantle edge is often yellow. On the dorsum
Dorsum (biology)
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...
there are purple lines and yellow dots. The gills and rhinophores are white, outlined in red.
This species can reach a total length of at least 50 mm.