Phyllidia ocellata
Cuvier, 1804

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Phyllidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Common throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean, including the Red Sea.

PHOTO

RIGHT - TOP: 22 m depth, Flat Rock, north-east of North Stradbroke Island, southern Qld, 7 Apr. 1981, dorsal view of "typical" specimen, 28 mm, Photo: R.C. Willan (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2D); RIGHT - MIDDLE: collected subtidally, Lucas Island, northern WA, 24 July 1988, dorsal view of 39 mm specimen, Photo: C. Bryce (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2E); RIGHT - LOWER: 20 m depth, Tongue Island, Red Sea, 19 Apr. 1983, dorsal view of P. ocellata undula Yonow, holotype, 18 mm, Photo: N. Yonow (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2F);
BELOW LEFT: TOP: 7-8 m depth, Madang Lighthouse, PNG, 22 Jan. 1988, dorsal view of 30 mm specimen, Photo: R.C.Willan (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2G);
LOWER: 23 m depth, Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, Sept. 1988, dorsal view of 60 mm specimen, Photo: P. Chapman-Smith (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2H);
LOWER RIGHT: 16 m depth, Phi Phi Island, southern Thailand, 5 Dec. 1989, dorsal view of copulating pair; 36 mm (with white rings) and 33 mm (no white) (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 3A).

Notes compiled from Brunckhorst, 1993:
The most typical dorsal pattern consists of four to ten black rings bordered in white, each with a central gold or white tubercle. There is little ontogenetic variation in external pattern (i.e., juveniles resemble adults), however considerable individual variation in dorsal pattern occurs in this species. From the basic pattern described, there appear to be numerous related and irregular patterns where the black areas expand and/or meander across the dorsum (Pls 2D-H, 3A). One of these forms was described as "P. ocellata undula" by Yonow (1986). The "undula" form is intermediate in this respect. Some specimens collected in southern Thailand had a dorsum with a mostly black background and yellow tubercles, but little or no white. The first specimen (33 mm live length) was found mating, in situ (16 m depth) with a more "typical" specimen (36 mm live length) (Pl.3A). A third specimen (39 mm) had white borders around some tubercles in the black region (personal observation, 1989).

Phyllidia ocellata can be separated from other predominantly gold-yellow Phyllidia species. It appears to be closest in colour to Phyllidia flava, but P. flava does not have any black pigmentation. Phyllidia varicosa, Phyllidia tula, and Phyllidia coelestis have yellow capped tubercles, but all have blue-grey pigmentation and the former two have a black stripe on the foot sole.

Reference:
• Brunckhorst, D.J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.

PHOTOS:
BELOW LEFT: TOP: 7-8 m depth, Madang Lighthouse, PNG, 22 Jan. 1988, dorsal view of 30 mm specimen, Photo: R.C.Willan (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2G); LOWER: 23 m depth, Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, Sept. 1988, dorsal view of 60 mm specimen, Photo: P. Chapman-Smith (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 2H);
LOWER RIGHT: 16 m depth, Phi Phi Island, southern Thailand, 5 Dec. 1989, dorsal view of copulating pair; 36 mm (with white rings) and 33 mm (no white) (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 3A).

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 12) Phyllidia ocellata Cuvier, 1804. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/phylocel

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