Risbecia pulchella
(Rüppell & Leuckart, 1828)
Photographed by: Kirsi Lehtinen
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Opisthobranchia |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Doridina |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Species: | Risbecia pulchella |
Comment from Richard Willan on photo #8688
A juvenile individualComment from Richard Willan on photo #6958
A typical individual. Note the characteristic thin blue-violet marginal band, numerous small orange spots on the mantle, and a few darker smudges as bands across the central area of the mantle.Comment from Richard Willan on photo #6598
This is an important photo because the individual is the perfect “missing link” between Risbecia pulchella (which has many small orange spots and a darkly smudged background to the central area) and Risbecia ghardaqana (which has a few yellow spots and a milky white background to the central area).Comment from Richard Willan on photo #3663
These individuals are definitely Risbecia pulchella without any doubt. The distinctions between this species and Risbecia ghardaqana are becoming fewer and fewer as time goes on, and probably Risbecia ghardaqana will be synonymised under Risbecia pulchella eventually.Comment from Richard Willan on photo #2012
Two individuals displaying ‘trailing behaviour’ which is characteristic of all species of the genus Risbecia.Comment from Richard Willan on photo #1327
In comparison, Risbecia godeffroyana has tiny golden speckled and much larger dark “tongues” along the edge of the mantle.Locality:
- Thailand
- Phuket (9) Jan, May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Nov
- Koh Phi Phi (2) Feb, Oct
- Richelieu Rock (2) Apr
- Thailand (1) May
- Egypt
- Sharm el-Sheikh (5) Jun
- Mozambique
- Ponta Malongane (4) Dec
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Myanmar (2) Feb, Apr
- Malaysia
- Jarak (1) Dec
- Sri Lanka
- Weligama (1) Feb
- Seychelles
- Seychelles (1)
