
Obscure Nudibranch
Hypselodoris obscura
- Usual depth5–15 m
- Water temperature18–29 °C
- Best monthsJanuary, September, and December
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Lachlan Copeland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
Hypselodoris obscura is a species of colourful sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae. It is the type species of the genus Hypselodoris.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Hypselodoris obscura”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 182 records
- February: 88 records
- March: 113 records
- April: 76 records
- May: 63 records
- June: 109 records
- July: 85 records
- August: 122 records
- September: 200 records
- October: 151 records
- November: 143 records
- December: 200 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 5–15 m · Deepest record: 18 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 18–29 °C
Photos

(c) libby hepburn, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) libby hepburn, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Daniel Eisenhauer, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Eldon E Ball, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Eldon E Ball, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Patrick Connolly, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Patrick Connolly, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Obscure Nudibranch
Other scientific names: Chromodoris crossei, Goniodoris crossei, Goniodoris obscura
Similar species
Cinderella Sea SlugHypselodoris apolegma
Bennett's HypselodorisHypselodoris bennetti
Lavender Split-tooth DoridHypselodoris bullockii
Triple-striped Split-tooth DoridHypselodoris emma
Imperial NudibranchHypselodoris imperialis
Black-spotted Split-tooth DoridHypselodoris infucata
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 204 open-data records from 1942 to 2023.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
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