Phyllidiella from Papua New Guinea

April 25, 2000
From: Mary Jane Adams

Dear Bill,
Can you identify this one? Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, August, 1995, depth unrecorded, estimated length about 45mm.

Thanks so much for all the information you are providing on this website. I find it all very interesting and hope that the images I send will make some small contribution to better understanding of sea slugs.

Mary Jane

mjadams@earthlink.net

Adams, M.J., 2000 (Apr 25) Phyllidiella from Papua New Guinea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2307

Dear Mary Jane,
Your photos are indeed very interesting and this one is a good example.

The short answer is I can't identify it, which is interesting as it means it is either a new species or an unknown colour variation of a named species.

It looks quite like Phyllidiella rudmani in having white pustules and a pinkish mantle, but that species is not recorded to have swirly black lines between the black longitudinal line on each side and the mantle edge. If you by chance have a photo from another angle, preferably from above, I would like to see what other black lines it has. I assume it has another longitudinal black line to match the one we can see, bit I can't see if there are other black lines in the midregion. Also your animal seems to have a black rhinophore club while P. rudmani has a pink base. Perhaps the base of the rhinophore in your photo is obscured.

I think I will keep it separate as Phyllidiella cf. rudmani until we have some more information to go on.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Apr 25). Comment on Phyllidiella from Papua New Guinea by Mary Jane Adams. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2307

Factsheet

Phyllidiella cf. rudmani

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  1. Re: Phyllidiella cf. rudmani
    From: Mary Jane Adams, April 29, 2000

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