Emma's Hypselodoris

Hypselodoris emma is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

Description

Hypselodoris emma has a shape cream body, with a purple to violet pink margin on the mantle and foot. Three purple to violet pink longitudinal lines down the dorsum, between which there are pale diffuse brown to ochre yellow stripe. Both the stalks and the lamellae of the rhinophores are bright red orange with sometimes a white tip. The 9-11 gills are simply pinnate but fluffy, and the same colour as the rhinophores. The foot has a purple to violet pink edge

This species is outwardly very similar in appearance to Hypselodoris maridadilus and Hypselodoris whitei. Hypselodoris emma can reach a total length of at least 40 mm.

Distribution

This nudibranch is found throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean to East Australia, also Japan.

Habitat

It has been observed feeding on sponges from the genus Dysidia. The spawn consist of a orange, not red coil and the free edge is elaborately wavy.