Platydoris cf. formosa from the Solomons

May 7, 2002
From: Bruce Potter


Dear Bill,
I was diving on a rather horrible dead coral and rubbish site last weekend [April 2002]. This was at Tulagi, in the Florida group of islands, Solomon Islands. At about 5 meters, and under a piece of dead coral, I found this P. formosa.

It was about 190mm long. It had a chunk bitten out of its mantle and an apparently damaged left rhinophore. This critter was like nothing so much as a piece of coloured linoleum. It was thin and stiff, and yet when it moved over rocks and stuff, it seemed to follow the hills and hollows like it was soft and pliable. Very interesting.

Regards
Bruce Potter.

bruce.potter@adventist.org.sb

Potter, B., 2002 (May 7) Platydoris cf. formosa from the Solomons. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6482

Thanks Bruce,
All species of Platydoris have this hard leathery feel, but as you say, they are really quite flexible when they move. I am not sure whether this form with patches of different shades of red and pink is Platydoris formosa or a different species. That species and Platydoris cruenta are charcterised by brown marks and bright red patches whereas this 'species' usually has an assortment of different coloured reddish, or orange patches and no brown specks or lines. The scientific literature is a bit confused on this group at present so I think I will leave it as Platydoris sp. 3 at present.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 7). Comment on Platydoris cf. formosa from the Solomons by Bruce Potter. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6482

Factsheet

Platydoris cinerobranchiata

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