Nudi Pixel: Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs Identification with Photographs

Hypselodoris kanga

Photographed by: Marco Waagmeester

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Opisthobranchia
Order:	Nudibranchia
Suborder:	Doridina
Family:	Chromodorididae
Species:	Hypselodoris kanga

Individuals displaying this colour form probably only occur in the Philippines.

It is definitely Hypselodoris kanga because of the structure of the gills (triangular in cross section). There are no spots on the gill’s axes, but the presence/absence of spots and number of such spots varies greatly between individuals in this species.

Note the characteristic triangular shape of the gills.

Note the characteristic triangular shape of the gills.

A typical individual.

The gills are clearly triangular in cross section and the two outer edges have sharp red lines in this individual, so it is a typical Hypselodoris kanga

The gills are clearly triangular in cross section in both these individuals and edged with sharp red lines, so no problems with either of them being Hypselodoris kanga even though the size and number of yellow spots are different.

A typical individual from Indonesia. Note the gills are triangular in cross section, and edged in red (blue in other parts of the world) and with a row of yellow spots up the broad outer face.

The gills in this individual are definitely triangular in cross section, which means this animal isn’t the similar-looking Hypselodoris infucata. However, the gills of Hypselodoris kanga normally have red longitudinal stripes (blue in this individual) and some yellow/white spots on their axes (no white spots in this individual), but these differences are not enough to call it anything else than Hypselodoris kanga.

A typical individual from Indonesia. Note the gills are triangular in cross section, and edged in red (blue in other parts of the world) and with a row of yellow spots up the broad outer face.

Locality:

• Indonesia
  • Bali (21) Feb, Apr, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov
  • Lembeh (7) Apr, Sep, Oct, Nov
  • Ambon (1) Jan
  • Wakatobi (1)
  • Manado (1) Jan
• Philippines
  • Anilao (1) Apr

 

Pictures of Hypselodoris kanga

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(32 photos)

Similar Species

Author: Erwin Kodiat

To distinguish between Hypselodoris kanga and similar looking Hypselodoris infucata is by looking at the gills. If they are triangular in cross section, and edged in red (blue in other parts of the world) and with a row of yellow spots up the broad outer face, then it is Hypselodoris kanga. Otherwise it is Hypselodoris infucata

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