Hypselodoris roo
Philippines · Indo Pacific - South China Sea
- Size
- 20–40 mm · max 45 mm
- Native range
- Central Indo-Pacific: Indonesia and the Philippines.
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Description
A chromodorid nudibranch described in 2018 by Gosliner & Johnson. It had long been misidentified as Hypselodoris kanga, hence its name, after Roo from Winnie-the-Pooh; DNA shows its closest relative is H. zephyra.
Share link: https://seaslugs.org.il/species/hypselodoris-roo-phillipines-indo-pacific-south-china-sea/
Identification
Whitish to grey-blue body with small to large yellow spots and smaller dark blue to black spots. Rhinophores are red with white spots at the base. The gills have red lines along their inner and outer edges and opaque white spots on the outer face.
Similar species
Hypselodoris kanga, H. confetti and H. infucata look similar; they differ in gill pigmentation, rhinophore markings and the arrangement of mantle glands.
Habitat & diet
Habitat
Tropical coral reefs and sandy-rubble slopes; recorded around 15 m.
Food
Like other Hypselodoris, feeds on sponges.