Hypselodoris rudmani is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.MolluscaBase (2018). Hypselodoris rudmani Gosliner & R.F. Johnson, 1999. Accessed on 2019-01-21 This species is named after the well known malacologist William B. Rudman.
Distribution The holotype of this nudibranch was collected at depth from Philip’s Reef (), Port Elizabeth, Algoa Bay, Cape Province, South Africa. Two additional specimens in the original description were from warmer water sites further north at Park Rynie (), Natal and Umgazana (), Eastern Cape, South Africa. A specimen from Pointe Evatra, South Madagascar () was sequenced for three genes in a landmark study which resulted in the description of 17 new species of Hypselodoris.Epstein, H. E.; Hallas, J. M.; Johnson, R. F.; Lopez, A.; Gosliner, T. M. (2018). Reading between the lines: revealing cryptic species diversity and colour patterns in Hypselodoris nudibranchs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Chromodorididae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2018, XX, 1–74. With 40 figures.
Description Hypselodoris rudmani has a translucent body dotted with white patches, and covered in small blue spots. The gills and rhinophores are white, tipped with orange.Rudman, W.B., 2005 (June 27) Hypselodoris rudmani Gosliner & Johnson, 1999. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Valdés, Á., 2018. Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification - Indo-Pacific. New World Publications; 2nd Revised, Updated edition. 452 pp. , , p. 187 Hypselodoris rudmani is a member of a large clade that includes Hypselodoris katherinae, Hypselodoris paradisa, Hypselodoris maritima, Hypselodoris skyleri and Hypselodoris bertschi.
This species can reach a total length of at least 25 mm.
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