Phyllidia multifaria from the Red Sea

February 14, 2008
From: Annette Kliphuis

Dear Bill,

Inside a cave at Samadai reef (Red Sea) we found two specimens of what we believe is Fryeria rueppelii. Is this true? When I look at the Factsheet I see a clear yellow border around the mantle and these guys don't have that. Also the smaller of the two (lower picture) has only 3 yellow dots on its body, where the larger one is covered in it. Is the smaller one a juvenile?
Also they were both sitting on the bottom on rocks covered in what we believe are pink sponges (or ascidians?). Can you help me identifying these slugs?

Locality: Samadai (west, inside the cave), 5 metres, Egypt, Red Sea, 26 November 2007, Inside a cave on rocks covered with pink sponges (?). Photographer: Marieke Koopmans & Tim Jacobs.

Thank you in advance!
groeten,
Annette

Annette.Kliphuis@wur.nl

Kliphuis, A.M.J., 2008 (Feb 14) Phyllidia multifaria from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21268

Dear Annette,
I am pretty sure this is Phyllidia multifaria, but if you have a look at the Fact Sheet you will see there is still some debate about whether it is a 'good' species or not. Sometimes, when there are not a lot of anatomical or colour differences to separate species, it take some years before new names are accepted or rejected. That is why photos like yours can be helpful in building up a file of information on some of these 'rarer' species - which may turn out to be common species from rarely reported places.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Feb 14). Comment on Phyllidia multifaria from the Red Sea by Annette Kliphuis. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21268

Factsheet

Phyllidia multifaria

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