by Shreya Dasgupta on
1 November 2018
Researchers have just described
17 stunning new species of sea slugs that live among coral reefs in the
Indo-Pacific region.
All the species belong to the
genus Hypselodoris, and come in a wide variety of colors.
Researchers reorganized the
genus Hypselodoris, adding new-to-science species to the group, and
revealing secrets of the evolution of their brilliant color patterns.
From lavender to orange, pink to
yellow polka dots — researchers have just described 17 stunning new species of
sea slugs that live among coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.
All the species belong to the
genus Hypselodoris, a group of colorful sea slugs that make for striking
photo models. In a recent study, researchers from the California
Academy of Sciences (CAS) reorganized the genus Hypselodoris, adding
new-to-science species to the group and revealing secrets of the evolution of
their brilliant color patterns.
Discovery of the new species is a
great feeling, said Terrence Gosliner, senior curator at the Department
of Invertebrate Zoology at the CAS. “Several species
[of Hypselodoris] had not been studied previously from a genetic
perspective and we had reason to believe that we had discovered a bunch of new
species, based on their external appearance,” he told Mongabay.
Among the new species
are Hypselodoris confetti, a sea slug that looks like it’s covered in
shreds of brightly colored paper; H. rositoi, named for its distinctive
rose-pink shade; and H. skyleri, a sea slug with white spots that resemble
stars in the sky and that’s named after co-author Rebecca Johnson’s son, Skyler
(Sky) Rodgers.
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