Phyllidiopsis gemmata
Pruvot-Fol, 1957

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Phyllidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from three localities in the Indian Ocean: Réunion Island; southern Thailand; and Java (type locality).

PHOTO

Upper: 16 m depth, Phi Phi Island, southern Thailand, 1 Dec. 1989, dorsal view of 30 and 38 mm specimens (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 7H).
Lower: Preserved specimen of P. gemmata illustrated by Pruvot-Fol (1957 - Pl. 1, figs 5, 6).

 

Notes compiled from Brunckhorst, 1993:
Phyllidiopsis gemmata can be distinguished in the field by its greyish pink to greyish blue tuberculate dorsum, three tuberculate ridges, four narrow black lines, fused oral tentacles with dark grey margins, dark grey coloration around the gills, and dark grey foot sole with a pale edge.

Phyllidiopsis annae and Phyllidiopsis striata also possess three median longitudinal ridges on the dorsum. Phyllidiopsis striata is a smaller species with white and black coloration (white ventrally), and lemon yellow rhinophores. The dorsal ridges of P. annae are bright blue and granular in appearance with minute, isolated tubercles (very tuberculate and grey in P. gemmata). Phyllidiopsis annae has black rhinophores and uniform grey coloration ventrally (except for the small oral tentacles which are dark grey to black). Furthermore, P. annae is a smaller species.

Note added 20 Dec. 2006: The specimen illustrated in Pruvot-Fol's original description of P. gemmata [Pl. 1, figs 5,6] shows radial, or transverse, lines around the mantle edge. She does not mention these lines in her descriptions and neither does Brunckhorst (1993). The specimens illustrated by Brunckhorst [see photo above right] do not show these lines. See messages below from Reunion Island and Mauritius [ #19024,#19025, #19038 ] suggesting that radial lines around the mantle edge are probably chracteristic of the species.

• Brunckhorst, D. J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.
• Pruvot-Fol, A. (1957) Révision de la famille des Phyllidiadae. 2. Journal de Conchyliologie, 97: 104-135, Pl.1.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (August 1) Phyllidiopsis gemmata Pruvot-Fol, 1957. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/phylgemm

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