Hypselodoris violabranchia Gosliner
& Johnson, 1999
|Maximum size: 20 mm (Gosliner,
et. al., 2008).
This small, slender species has a pale-yellow body covered with many
fine, white longitudinal lines. The anterior and posterior ends of the
mantle and the posterior end of the foot have violet margins. The
rhinophores are magenta with a white patch on the posterior face of the
club. The gills are white with magenta on the outer side of the
rachis. It may be distinguished from Hypselodoris
peasei and Hypselodoris
by its magenta rather than orange gills.
is a moderately common diurnal species that may be found under rocks or
open on rocky bottoms. It lives in moderately
protected to highly exposed locations at depths of 5-26 m (16-85
ft). One animal laid a pale-orange egg spiral of 3 whorls. It was 8 mm
in diameter with a 1.5
mm high ribbon. It apparently feeds on a gray-blue sponge that is often obscured by algal turf.
Big Island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai and Midway.
First recorded in Hawaii at Makua, Oahu by Scott Johnson in Nov. 1977.
The name means "violet
gills." It's referred to as the "violet-gilled nudibranch" in Hoover,
Photo: PF: 16
mm: Kanaio, Maui; Jan., 1994.
Observations and comments:
1: ( )