Re: Hypselodoris bullocki - different colours mating

June 8, 2002
From: Kheong Sann Chan

Hi Bill,
I was just looking at the photo of the 2 shades of H. bullocki mating and I notice that the white one's gills are much smaller than those of the purple one. Do you know of any reason for this? Do you suppose that the size of their gills is related to their age or anything like that?

Kheong.

kschan@mail.dsi.nus.edu.sg

Chan, K.S., 2002 (Jun 8) Re: Hypselodoris bullocki - different colours mating. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7178

Dear Kheong,
The reason the gills look smaller in the white one is because they are partly withdrawn into a pocket on the back of the animal. The dorid nudibranchs are divided into two 'Superfamilies' - the EUDORIDOIDEA and the ANADORIDOIDEA. One of the main differences between the two is that in the Eudoridoidea the gills can be withdrawn into a pocket for protection. Another name for the superfamily is the 'Cryptobranchia' which basically means 'hidden gills'. In the Anadoridoidea there is no pocket into which the gills can be withdrawn, although the gills can retract against the body when the animal is disturbed. Another name for this group is the 'Phanerobranchia' which means 'visible gills'.

You can see from the Species List which dorids belong in which superfamily. There is some debate about whether this division reflects evolution or is just a convenient way of splitting the dorids into two, more manageable, groups.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jun 8). Comment on Re: Hypselodoris bullocki - different colours mating by Kheong Sann Chan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7178

Related messages

  1. Re: Blue Hypselodoris bullocki egg-laying
    From: Barbara Hanchard, March 3, 2009
  2. Re: Hypselodoris bullocki? again
    From: Marcel Tanke, November 27, 2008
  3. Hypselodoris bullocki? feeding
    From: Kenneth Yong, April 29, 2008
  4. Re: Purple sea slug
    From: Ben Newsome, April 23, 2008
  5. Hypselodoris bullocki ? from Papua New Guinea
    From: Bob Gaensslen, August 18, 2007
  6. Hypselodoris bullocki feeding
    From: Richard Swann, May 14, 2007
  7. Hypselodoris bullocki from the Great Barrier Reef
    From: Richard Ling, March 15, 2007
  8. Hypselodoris bullocki - feeding record
    From: Bill Rudman, February 13, 2007
  9. Re: Hypselodoris bullocki? from Malaysia
    From: Asther Lau, December 11, 2006
  10. Hypselodoris bullocki from Indonesia
    From: Charles Rowe, November 22, 2006
  11. Re: H. bullocki feeding - or at least tasting
    From: Leslie Harris, August 3, 2006
  12. Re: Hypselodoris bullocki feeding - or at least tasting
    From: Brian Francisco, August 1, 2006
  13. Hypselodoris bullocki feeding - or at least tasting
    From: Brian Francisco, July 31, 2006
  14. Hypselodoris bullocki? - Feeding ?
    From: Kerem Turker, May 27, 2006
  15. Hypselodoris bullocki - feeding
    From: Guido & Philippe Poppe, April 10, 2006
  16. Hypselodoris bullocki in aquarium
    From: Jim Steil, March 7, 2006
  17. Hypselodoris bullockii? from Malaysia
    From: Asther Lau, December 14, 2005
  18. Re: Hypselodoris bullocki - different colours mating
    From: Paul Whitehead, October 25, 2005
  19. Blue Hypselodoris bullocki egg-laying
    From: Matthew, February 1, 2004
  20. Hypselodoris bullocki mating
    From: Fredy Brauchli, January 22, 2004
  21. Blue Hypselodoris bullocki mating
    From: Mary Jane Adams, January 19, 2004
  22. Hypselodoris bullocki found at Flinders Reef
    From: Gary Cobb, October 22, 2003
  23. Hypselodoris from Anilao
    From: Ray Izumi, July 21, 2003
  24. H. bullocki + H. apolegma?
    From: Erwin Koehler, May 2, 2003
  25. Re: aquarium slugs
    From: J.B. McClung, March 10, 2003
  26. Sea slug for aquarium
    From: j.b.mcclung, March 5, 2003
  27. Hypselodoris bullocki egg ribbon
    From: Chris Wahlers, February 24, 2003
  28. Egg masses in my aquarium
    From: Tana Landau, January 24, 2003
  29. Hypselodoris bullocki mating
    From: Mary Jane Adams , December 18, 2002
  30. Hypselodoris bullocki from Reunion
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia , November 16, 2002
  31. Two color forms of H. bullocki mating
    From: Michael Miller, November 2, 2002
  32. Hypselodoris bullocki From Riau, Indonesia
    From: Alice Lee, June 12, 2002
  33. Hypselodoris bullocki laying eggs.
    From: Kheong Sann Chan, June 5, 2002
  34. Hypselodoris bullocki feeding
    From: Kheong Sann Chan, June 5, 2002
  35. Hypselodoris bullocki - different colours mating
    From: Kheong Sann Chan, June 5, 2002
  36. Thank you Bill - Hypselodoris bullocki
    From: Ike, May 14, 2002
  37. H. bullocki 'colour forms' mating
    From: Erwin Koehler, May 1, 2002
  38. Hypselodoris bullocki from Malaysia
    From: Kheong Sann Chan, April 26, 2002
  39. Hypselodoris bullocki colour group (2)
    From: Bernard Picton , April 9, 2002
  40. Hypselodoris bullocki from Bali
    From: Stuart Hutchison, March 22, 2002
  41. Hypselodoris 'bullocki' again
    From: Mary Lefebvre, January 5, 2002
  42. Hypselodoris bullocki mating in aquarium
    From: Nick Gill, November 27, 2001
  43. Hypselodoris bullocki laying eggs?
    From: Matt Stryker, September 8, 2001
  44. Colour forms of Hypselodoris bullocki mating
    From: Mary Jane Adams, August 29, 2001
  45. Hypselodoris bullocki questions
    From: Drew, July 2, 2001
  46. Re: Purple sea slug in aquaria
    From: Alexandra Ellwood , May 24, 2001
  47. Purple sea slug
    From: Alexandra Ellwood, May 13, 2001
  48. Feeding a Hypselodoris bullocki
    From: Sammy Anderson, April 10, 2001
  49. Colour variation of Hypselodoris bullocki
    From: Drew Taylor, April 6, 2001

Show factsheet and all related messages