Guide to Opisthobranchs Nudibranchia Doridina Doridoidei Chromodoridoidea Hypselodoris infucata

Hypselodoris infucata

Hypselodoris infucata (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1831)

Hypselodoris infucata (Beirut, Lebanon) by Sonja Ooms

WoRMS Taxonomic Information

Current accepted name: Hypselodoris infucata (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830)

Current classification

Superdomain	Biota
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Mollusca
Class	Gastropoda
Subclass	Heterobranchia
Infraclass	Euthyneura
Subterclass	Ringipleura
Superorder	Nudipleura
Order	Nudibranchia
Suborder	Doridina
Infraorder	Doridoidei
Superfamily	Chromodoridoidea
Family	Chromodorididae
Subfamily	Miamirinae
Genus	Hypselodoris
Species	Hypselodoris infucata (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830)

Taxonomic note: Hypselodoris infucata was originally described by Eduard Rüppell and Friedrich S. Leuckart under the name Doris infucata, based on material from the Red Sea. The bibliographic reference is somewhat complex with regard to the date: the work Neue wirbellose Thiere des Rothen Meeres, within Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika von Eduard Rüppell, was published in several parts between 1828 and 1830, and the description of Doris infucata appears in the part corresponding to 1830. For this reason, WoRMS currently considers the authority (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830) to be valid, although some later works, including Gosliner, Behrens & Valdés (2008), have used 1828. Throughout the nineteenth century and much of the twentieth, this species was described or identified under several different names, largely as a result of the considerable variability of its colour pattern. Names subsequently regarded as synonyms include Brachychlanis pantherina Ehrenberg, 1831, Doris diardi Kelaart, 1859, Chromodoris runcinata Bergh, 1877, Chromodoris semperi Bergh, 1877, and Glossodoris runcinata (Bergh, 1877). The revision by Johnson & Valdés (2001) was particularly important in clarifying the identity of the species. The authors studied specimens from various regions of the Indo-Pacific and demonstrated that external variation, especially in colouration, is considerable in H. infucata. They also compared it with H. obscura and H. saintvincentius, species with which it had previously been confused. H. obscura can be consistently distinguished by certain characteristics of the reproductive system and was provisionally retained as a separate species. Likewise, the type specimen of Brachychlanis pantherina Ehrenberg was found to be conspecific with H. infucata. Subsequently, the molecular phylogenetic study by Johnson & Gosliner (2012) confirmed the placement of H. infucata within the Hypselodoris clade and supported the evolutionary delimitation of the group. WoRMS currently maintains Hypselodoris infucata as the accepted name.

Synonyms

Chromodoris diardii (Kelaart, 1859)
Chromodoris runcinata Bergh, 1877
Doris infucata Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830 (original)
Glossodoris runcinata (Bergh, 1877)

Description
This is a dorid nudibranch with an elongated body that is relatively high in the central region. The mantle margins form a small lateral fold that becomes broader towards the anterior region. The rhinophores are lamellate and retractile. A branchial crown is arranged around the anus on the posterior part of the dorsum, usually consisting of approximately 10–12 branchial leaves. Adult specimens generally measure around 30–40 mm, with published maximum sizes of approximately 55 mm, although individuals of up to about 70 mm have been recorded. The colouration is highly characteristic but also notably variable. The background colour of the body and dorsum may be cream, greenish, bluish-grey, or blue-green, over which an irregular pattern of yellow, dark blue, and black spots is displayed. The margin of the notum usually has a pale blue area, often internally bordered by a line or series of dark blue markings, while the dorsal surface may be scattered with small yellow and dark spots and may show a stripe or irregular series of white pigmentation along the longitudinal axis. In some individuals, the dark blue spots along the margin may fuse to form more continuous lateral bands. This colour variation contributed in the past to specimens being assigned to different species or specific names. The rhinophores are among the most distinctive features: they have a whitish or pale stalk, while the lamellate portion is an intense orange-red. The gills are generally white, with the rachis or the inner and outer edges of the branchial leaves marked with orange-red pigmentation. Differences in this pigmentation, together with the pattern of yellow and blue spots on the pale background, help distinguish the species from other members of the H. infucata-H. obscura complex. Juveniles have a colour pattern that differs from that of adults: the yellow spots tend to be relatively large, while the small dark blue spots may be absent or much less numerous. This ontogenetic change represents another potential source of variation in the visual identification of the species.

Biology
Hypselodoris infucata is a benthic species mainly associated with rocky bottoms, coral reefs, and shallow environments, where it is usually found on or around sponges. In the eastern Mediterranean it has also been observed in harbour environments and is considered particularly tolerant of such conditions. Mediterranean records generally indicate a preference for shallow waters; specimens have been documented, for example, at 1–8 m depth in Lebanon, at 4 m in Cyprus, and at 5 m in the Gulf of Antalya (Türkiye), while other Mediterranean observations have reached 15 m. It is a sponge-feeding species. Its diet is mainly associated with sponges of the genus Dysidea, a relationship documented both through field observations and studies of its larval biology. In terms of behaviour, it has been described as primarily diurnal, although it may also be observed at night. Adults lay whitish egg masses in the form of a rolled or spiral ribbon. The reproductive biology and larval development were experimentally studied by Hubbard (1988) using Hawaiian specimens. The eggs had a mean diameter of approximately 88 μm, and the veligers hatched approximately five days after spawning at 25 °C. The larvae could maintain a planktonic phase for several weeks; under the experimental conditions, some reached competence for metamorphosis approximately 16 days after hatching at 26 °C. Hubbard’s study also showed that metamorphosis could be induced by several sponges, including Dysidea sp., which is the adult food source, but also by other sponges that do not form part of the adult diet. This suggests that specific recognition of the food sponge occurs after settlement and metamorphosis, rather than necessarily during the larval stage.

Etymology

Hypselodoris. From Greek “hypsos”, height, high + “doras”, Greek for skin, also Doris, a sea nymph in Greek mythology, wife of Nereus, nymph of the waters and mother of Nereids.
Infucata. From Latin “infucatus”, Colored, painted.

Distribution
Hypselodoris infucata is a tropical species widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, with a range that includes the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean and extends into the tropical western Indo-Pacific. The older literature contains numerous records attributed to H. infucata that were subsequently reassessed in the context of the H. infucata-H. obscura-H. saintvincentius species complex; consequently, distributional data should be interpreted with this taxonomic caution. In the Mediterranean, H. infucata is a Lessepsian species, introduced from the Red Sea and currently established mainly in the Levantine basin. Published Mediterranean records allow its initial expansion through the Levantine basin to be reconstructed with considerable precision: Israel: Caesarea, 1965, the first Mediterranean record, published by Barash & Danin (1977) as Glossodoris runcinata and subsequently confirmed as H. infucata by Mienis & Gat (1981). Subsequent records (2008) exist from other localities along the Israeli coast. Türkiye: Yumurtalık, İskenderun Bay, 1999, the first published record by Çevik & Öztürk (2001). It was subsequently observed at Fethiye in 2000 and in the Gulf of Antalya in 2010. Lebanon: Valdés & Templado (2002) confirmed the species through anatomical study and documented it at Ramkine Island, Beirut, El Heri, and Selaata between 1999 and 2001. Subsequent records have been added from other localities along the Lebanese coast, including Anfeh, Batroun, Jbail, Tabarja, Raoucheh, and Nakoura. Cyprus: Tsiakkiros & Zenetos (2011) documented specimens at Amathus, Limassol, observed in 2002 and 2004 at approximately 4 m depth. The same paper reports an earlier record from Girne/Kyrenia, on the northern coast of Cyprus, from 2007, at 15 m depth.

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Abundance

Western Mediterranean:	☆☆☆☆☆
Eastern Mediterranean:	★☆☆☆☆
Atlantic Ocean:	☆☆☆☆☆

Month

This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Hypselodoris infucata based on our own records.

More pictures

Hypselodoris infucata by Orhan Aytur

Hypselodoris infucata (Beirut, Lebanon) by Sonja Ooms

Hypselodoris infucata by Sonja Ooms

Hypselodoris infucata @ Bali by Enric Madrenas

Bibliography

1246567 Hypselodoris infucata 1 eunomia-revista-en-cultura-de-la-legalidad 50 creator asc 1 14603 https://opistobranquis.info/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/

Steve Long, 2006

Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000

Gary McDonald, 2009

Bibliographia Nudibranchia

Further reading

Cite this article as:

Pontes, Miquel (2025) "Hypselodoris infucata" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 19/09/2014. Accessed: 25/09/2026. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=14603)

Hypselodoris infucata