Risbecia pulchella sea slugs taken at Umkomaas, South Africa

Risbecia pulchella

(Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828)

Also known as: Risbecia ghardaqana

Photographed by: Darja Tjioe

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

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #41723

A juvenile individual.

Comment from Nathalie Yonow on photo #15823

yes, often trailing like this.

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #6960

A juvenile individual.

Comment from Nathalie Yonow on photo #9955

It looks like this could be Risbecia ghardaqana! How wonderful! Originally described from the Red Sea.

Comment from Nathalie Yonow on photo #8713

Depicting typical trailing behaviour, and often on sand

Comment from Nathalie Yonow on photo #8711

If it were Chromodoris annulata, which also has the purple under the front of the mantle, you would see the purple ring in front of the rhinophores.

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #8688

A juvenile individual

Comment 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 #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.