Hypselodoris infucata ( Rueppell & Leuckart, 1830)

Mehrotra, Rahul, A. Caballer Gutierrez, Manuel, M. Scott, Chad, Arnold, Spencer, Monchanin, Coline, Viyakarn, Voranop & Chavanich, Suchana, 2021, An updated inventory of sea slugs from Koh Tao, Thailand, with notes on their ecology and a dramatic biodiversity increase for Thai waters, ZooKeys 1042, pp. 73-188 : 73

Hypselodoris infucata ( Rueppell & Leuckart, 1830) Figure 10L

Material examined.

One specimen 25 mm, SRB; one specimen 12 mm, CB; one specimen 8 mm, SB.

Ecology.

Juveniles and smaller individuals common under dead fungiid corals and reef rubble in shallow coral reef areas, making up some of the most abundant nudibranch taxa in some areas. Larger individuals rarer. Throughout reef and deeper soft sediment habitats. Depth 2-25 m.

Distribution.

Widespread and abundant in the Indo-Pacific including Mozambique ( Tibiriçá et al. 2017), Oman, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia ( Debelius 1996), Red Sea ( Yonow 1989), Madagascar, Mediterranean Sea, Indonesia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Hawaii ( Gosliner et al. 2008). Distribution within Thailand currently unclear (see below), previously recorded from the Gulf of Thailand ( Mehrotra and Scott 2016).

Remarks.

Chavanich et al. (2013) recorded Hypselodoris infucata from Andaman and Gulf coasts, and Hypselodoris obscura from the Gulf of Thailand. While images were not presented alongside these records, review of the original data hints at a possible clarification. Hypselodoris obscura is known to be a sub-tropical species from eastern Australia ( Epstein et al. 2018) while H. infucata is known to be widespread across the Indo-Pacific; therefore, records from the Gulf of Thailand by Chavanich et al. (2013) are likely to be H. infucata . Review of photographs used in the initial identifications supports this clarification, but also suggest that the species called Hypselodoris infucata found to be present on both coasts may or may not be the true H. infucata . A closer investigation on the distribution of Hypselodoris species across both coasts is needed to confirm its range in Thai waters.

Figures

Figure 10. A Goniobranchus aureopurpureus 45 mm B Goniobranchus fidelis 12 mm C Goniobranchus geometricus 15 mm (photograph by Kirsty Magson) D, E Goniobranchus sinensis different morphs, 34 mm (D) and 55 mm (E) F Goniobranchus tumuliferus 10 mm G Goniobranchus verrieri 10 mm (photograph by Khumron Waipaka) H Goniobranchus sp. 55 mm (photograph by Phannee Mccarthy) I Hypselodoris cerisae 4 mm J Hypselodoris confetti 24 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) K Hypselodoris decorata 18 mm L Hypselodoris infucata 12 mm.