Plocamopherus maculapodium
Valles & Gosliner, 2006

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Triophinae

DISTRIBUTION

Wide Indo-West Pacific distribution with records from Philippines, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea & Zanzibar.

PHOTO

Locality: Kwajalein Atoll, 6 m, Marshall Islands, Pacific, 8 February 2009, Under rock on shallow lagoon reef. Length: 19 x 4 mm. Photographer: Jeanette & Scott Johnson.

The body is a uniform brown to reddish brown with some minute white spots, usually in  a line around the mantle edge. The colour lightens down the sides of the body, becoming almost yellow on the foot. Dark brown to black spots are scattered over the foot. There are three pairs of lateral processes arranged along the mantle edge, the most anterior pair being about midway between the rhinophores and the gills, and the most posterior pair being just behind the gills. These lateral processes are white, and the anterior two on each side have branched papillae, while the posterior pair are tipped with a spherical tubercle. The anterior mantle is developed into a flap overhanging the mouth. It has white branched papillae along its edge. From the posterior lateral process on each side an irregular white line runs into the dorsal midline where it joins its partner from the other side and runs posteriorly to the tip of the foot. Branched papillae occur along this posterior midline.

The rhinophores are large and inflated. They are the same reddish brown as the body and have a white tubercle at the tip. The gills have an outer brown base, then a white region before branching. The terminal branches are dark brown. It grows to at least 25 mm in length, and feeds on arborescent bryozoans.

Note: This species has previously been known on the Forum as Plocamopherus sp. 1.

• Valles, Y. & T.M. Gosliner. 2006. Shedding light onto the genera Kaloplocamus and Plocamopherus (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) with description of new species belonging to these unique bioluminescent dorids. The Veliger, 48: 178-205.

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