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Additional Photos
unspotted
young
feeding & egg mass
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GALLERY
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Hypselodoris peasei (Bergh, 1880)
Maximum size: 20 mm.
Identification:
This
species is small and elongate with many parallel white
longitudinal lines on a light cream to peach notum that may be variably
spotted
with blue-black. A deep blue or violet line encircles the mantle margin
and the edge of the foot. The rhinophores are white with two orange
bands and the gills are white with varying amounts of orange on the
outer surface.
Natural history:
Hypselodoris peasei
is a common, diurnal species that is often found in groups feeding on
the yellow sponge Luffariella
sp.
in a variety of rocky habitats as well as in Halimeda kanaloana beds. It occurs
in
protected to exposed locations from 2-64 m (6-209 ft). The white egg
masses are often found on or near the sponge and typically consist of
about two whorls. Its biology (including density and distribution in
relation to its prey sponge, growth and reproduction) is recorded in
Johnson, 1983.
Distribution:
Big Island, Maui, Lanai and Oahu.
Taxonomic notes:
This
species was listed as “locusts”
in Bertsch and Johnson, 1981 and was described as Hypselodoris andersoni in Bertsch
and Gosliner (1989). It is listed under that name in Hoover, 1998. It seems possible that Doris
prismatica var. lineata
Pease, 1860 was this species rather than Hypselodoris bertschi as suggested
in Kay, 1979. In that case, it was first reported from Hawaii in Pease, 1860. It was named for William Harper Pease who
described and
recorded over 300
species of Hawaiian mollusks. It's referred to as "Anderson's
nudibranch" in Hoover, 1998 and as the "locust
nudibranch" in Hoover, 2006.
Photo: John
Hoover: Magic Island, Oahu; Oct., 1997.
Observations and comments:
Note
1: ( )
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