An amazing mimic of Phyllidiella pustulosa

December 1, 1998
From: Lindsay Warren

Dear Bill,

Here is another picture from Pulau Hoga Island, Tukangbesi Archipelago, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia. The photo is Adam Powell's.

I am very excited about this particular one.  When I collected it I thought it was a colour variant of Phyllidiella pustulosa - it has the same tough body but rather different markings.  Having left it in a dish for a while, I took a closer look under the microscope as one of the pustules at the rear seemed to be opening up.  Before taking a closer look I thought this was probably the anus but imagine my surprise when I saw the small grey gills which had been completely retracted till then!

If you have any problems with the photos please let me know - they were scanned in at a larger size but I reduced them to send to you.

Once again, many thanks for all your help and your interest.
With best wishes
Lindsay Warren

100014.2112@compuserve.com

Warren, L., 1998 (Dec 1) An amazing mimic of Phyllidiella pustulosa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/348

Note added 5 March 2007: This species, previously known on the Forum as Discodoris? liturata Bergh, 1905 is now placed in the genus Paradoris.

Dear Lindsay,
Firstly the photos are great..especially when you send interesting animals like this! I vaguely remembered seeing or talking to someone about this so I sent queries to David Brunckhorst and Richard Willan. Their replies, which you can see above, extend the known range of the species and sort out its name, if not its relationships.

It certainly is a good mimic.

Bill Rudman.

Factsheet

Paradoris liturata

Related messages

  1. Paradoris liturata - amazing phyllidiid mimic
    From: Sean Kearney, July 3, 2008
  2. Phyllidia mimc from SE Sulawesi
    From: Fuensanta Candela-Castillo, September 28, 2005
  3. Phyllidiella mimic from Bali
    From: Stuart Hutchison, March 15, 2002
  4. Phyllidiella mimic from Mabul Island
    From: Nishina Masayoshi, March 14, 2002
  5. Is this Discodoris? liturata or another species?
    From: Bernard Picton, December 18, 1998
  6. More on the Phyllidiella mimic
    From: Lindsay Warren, December 7, 1998
  7. Re: Phyllidiella mimic
    From: Richard Willan, December 1, 1998
  8. Re: Phyllidiella mimic
    From: David J. Brunckhorst, December 1, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages