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Hypselodoris katherinae
Image courtesy of Anouk HoubenAnilao, Batangas, Philippines
Hypselodoris katherinae Gosliner & R. Johnson in Epstein et al., 2018
Species of the genus Hypselodoris have higher body profiles than other Chromodorids. Internally, they are differentiated by their radular teeth which have a bifid cusp.
This species is named for Katherine Piatek, Senior Program Manager of the Institute of Biodiversity Science and Sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences, who has provided immense support for the research undertaken in the Philippines.
Hypselodoris katherinae has previously been confused with Hypselodoris carnea. The mantle is translucent pale pink with a series of longitudinal red-brown lines running down its length. These lines may be broken into short segments and may branch and anastomose. Small blue-purple diffuse spots are arranged at the mantle margin and may coalesce into a continuous line. The gills are white with orange lines on the rachis and the rhinophores are red to orange in color. This species can reach a total length of 32 mm.
This nudibranch was described from Pulau Chebeh, off the NW tip of Tioman Island, eastern Malaysia. It is also reported from the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan.
Reference:
Epstein, H. E.; Hallas, J. M.; Johnson, R. F.; Lopez, A.; Gosliner, T. M. (2018). Reading between the lines: revealing cryptic species diversity and colour patterns in Hypselodoris nudibranchs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Chromodorididae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2018, XX, 1-74.
Dave Behrens
New Braunfels, TX
Aug., 2023
Send Dave email at davidwbehrens@gmail.com
Washington to Texas
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Anouk celebrating Birthday while in attendance
at Nudibranch Conference in Philippines, May 2023
Anouk Houben hails from Belgium and is a keen underwater photographer and nudibranch enthusiast. She does most of her diving in Indonesia and the Philippines. Over the years Anouk has taken part in a number of nudi workshops and expeditions of which most recently the citizen science workshop in Anilao with Terry Gosliner. Anouk showcases her nudibranch photography on Instagram @nudibranch.ia. Anouk's camera system consists of a Omsystems OM-1 and 2 Ikelite SD160 strobes.
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