About Hypselodoris pulchella (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830)
Hypselodoris pulchella (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830) is a long, slender species of sea slug that reaches a maximum body length of 80 mm, and can even grow up to 110 mm. Its mantle edges extend fully along the body, and have a thin bluish border. Both the mantle and foot are creamy white, covered in numerous small, rounded yellowish-orange spots of varying sizes. There is always a diffuse pale violet-brown pattern on the back of this species, a marking that is absent in the closely related similar species Hypselodoris ghardaqana. The sensory tentacle-like rhinophores are bluish in color. The main respiratory organs, the gills, range in color from bluish to orange. These sea slugs typically rhythmically raise and lower their heads while vibrating their gills. They often display a characteristic 'trailing' behaviour, where two individuals follow closely behind one another. This species feeds on sponges. This species was originally described from the Red Sea, where it still occurs. It is also found throughout the Indian Ocean, ranging from Kenya, Tanzania, the Comores, and Réunion, east to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Philippines. It is a benthic species that inhabits depths between 3 and 30 meters.
