Hypselodoris ghardaqana explained

Hypselodoris ghardaqana is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.^[1]

Distribution

This species was described from the Red Sea. It has been reported from the Indian Ocean.^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Description

This species is similar in colouration to Hypselodoris pulchella. It is suggested that this is a case of mimicry because the two species are not closely related.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Bouchet, P. (2012). Hypselodoris ghardaqana. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-06-09
2. Rudman, W.B., 2003 (April 8) Risbecia ghardaqana (Gohar & Aboul-Ela, 1957). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
3. Rudman W.B. (1987) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris epicuria, C. aureopurpurea, C. annulata, C. coi and Risbecia tryoni colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 305-407. page(s): 374
4. Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. page(s): 139
5. Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Valdés, Á. (2008) Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and seaslugs. A field guide to the world's most diverse fauna. Sea Challengers Natural History Books, Washington, 426 pp. page(s): 271
6. Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479
7. 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. With 40 figures.