Cape dorid

The Cape dorid (Hypselodoris capensis) is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

Cape dorid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Hypselodoris
Species:
H. capensis
Binomial name
Hypselodoris capensis
(Barnard, 1927)[1]
Synonyms
  • Glossodoris capensis Barnard, 1927

Distribution

This species can found around the South African coast from the Cape Peninsula to the Wild Coast subtidally to at least 20 m. It is probably endemic.[2]

Description

The Cape dorid is a white-bodied dorid with a smooth skin. It has opaque white lines along the notum and irregular reddish-orange spots. It has a broken blue-purple margin. It has eight gills arranged around the anus and its rhinophores are perfoliate. The rhinophores and gill edges are orange. It may reach a total length of 50 mm.[3] This species is very similar in appearance to Hypselodoris carnea.[4]

Ecology

This species feeds on an undescribed pale blue sponge. Its egg ribbon is a creamy collar of several whorls.

  • Specimen feeding on sponge

References
  1. Barnard, K. H. (1927) South African nudibranch mollusca, with descriptions of new species, and a note on some specimens from Tristan d'Acunha. Annals of the South African Museum 25(1): 171-215, pl. 19-20.
  2. Gosliner, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
  3. Zsilavecz, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3
  4. Rudman, W.B., 2000 (July 19) Hypselodoris capensis (Barnard, 1927). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
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