Hypselodoris from New Caledonia

August 30, 2006
From: Jean-François Hervé

Dear Dr Rudman,

Thank you for your fast answer #17400.

I found this very pretty nudibranch for the first time, last month. It was probably feeding on the purple sponge. 10 m depth.

Locality: Noumea, 10 m, New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean, July 2006. Length: 15 mm. Photographer: Jean-François Hervé.

I'm having difficulty with his id. Please, can you help me?

Thank You very much.
Jean-François Hervé
http://jfherve.free.fr/nudibranches/

jfherve@free.fr

Hervé, J-F, 2006 (Aug 30) Hypselodoris from New Caledonia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17621

Dear Jean-François,
Thanks for this interesting observation. Firstly, I am pretty sure this is an unnamed species of Hypselodoris.  I don't recognise and I have been through all of Jean Risbec's descriptions and illustrations of New Caledonian nudibranchs and can't find anything even slightly similar. I'll call it Hypselodoris sp. 9 on the Forum

The other point of interest is the purple sponge you found it on. It is a dysideid, almost certainly a species of  Euryspongia.  It's not often that we have an instant start on the biology of a new species. I am also pretty sure that the orange mass in the top right corner of your photo is a species of Rostanga. Have you any other photos of it please?

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Aug 30). Comment on Hypselodoris from New Caledonia by Jean-François Hervé. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17621

Factsheet

Hypselodoris sp. 9

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  1. Re: Hypselodoris from New Caledonia
    From: Bill Rudman, January 12, 2007
  2. Re: Hypselodoris sp. 9 - eggs?
    From: Nerida Wilson, September 1, 2006
  3. Hypselodoris sp. 9 - eggs?
    From: Jean-François Hervé, August 31, 2006

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