Phyllidiopsis sphingis from Northern Mariana Ids

August 25, 2007
From: Harry Blalock

Dear Bill,

I found another nudibranch this past weekend that I haven't seen before, and haven't been able to locate online either. The only reason I saw it was that it was iridescent when my flashlight hit it. The blue fringe all around the edges of him absolutely glowed when the flashlight lit him up. Can you help me with an ID on him?

Locality: Grotto - a cavern dive, 45', Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean, 19 August 2007, On the side of a rock. Length: 1/4". Photographer: Harry Blalock.

Sincerely,
Harry Blalock

harryblalock@gmail.com

Blalock, H., 2007 (Aug 25) Phyllidiopsis sphingis from Northern Mariana Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20553

Dear Harry,

This is a nice find. It's Phyllidiopsis sphingis which is known from a very few records from a few parts of the western Pacific, including Guam, Hawaii, and Madang in Papua New Guinea. If you look carefully you can see white granules scattered through the skin near the mantle edge. These are small glands but I suspect they increase the opacity of the mantle around the edge and enhance the 'blueness' and reflectivity of the border

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 25). Comment on Phyllidiopsis sphingis from Northern Mariana Ids by Harry Blalock. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20553

Factsheet

Phyllidiopsis sphingis

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