Phyllidiella meandrina from Indian Ocean [1]

November 8, 2002
From: Marina Poddubetskaia

Dear Bill,
Here are some photos of the most common nudibranchs of Reunion and Mauritius. I think there are 2 different species (but maybe there are more?): Phyllidiella zeylanica and Phyllidiella rosans. Could you help me with these Ids, please?

I saw these phyllidiids in large numbers in all sites I dived. Under the water, they seem quite different and those in this message, which I’m calling Phyllidiella zeylanica are always larger. I've sent some more of this species in a separate message. Is it Phyllidiella zeylanica?

Upper Photo: October 07, 2002 / ‘Le platier de la Pointe au Sel’ / St-Leu, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean / 40-45mm at 21m
Lower Left: October 06, 2002 / ‘Maison Verte’ / St-Leu, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean / 50-55mm at 14m
Lower Right: October 16, 2002 / ‘Grand Aquarium’ / Pereybere, Mauritius, Indian Ocean / 45-50mm at 10m
Photos: Marina Poddubetskaia - Nembro website

I have sent photos of the other species in a separate message.
Best wishes,
Marina.

nembro@nembro.info

Poddubetskaia, M., 2002 (Nov 8) Phyllidiella meandrina from Indian Ocean [1]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8311

Dear Marina,
I am glad you decided to send me lots of photos of even the most common of your finds, because I think you have hit the jackpot with these. I am sure this species is not Phyllidiella zeylanica nor Phyllidiella rosans, and they have significant differences from Phyllidiella annulata. I had previously identified this species on the Forum as Phyllidiella cf. zeylanica. Since you said they were the most common species you saw, I thought it worth hunting through earlier descriptions to see if it had been collected before. It wasn't long before I found Heller & Thompson's photo of Phyllidia sudanensis, and Pruvot-Fol's earlier name, Phyllidia meandrina, which although described from preserved animals, are obviously the same thing.

Brunckhorst (1998) considered both these species to be synonyms of P. annulata, but I would consider the consistent differences in tubercle arrangement to be enough to reinstate this species. If we don't use consistent differences in tubercle arrangement to distinguish species of Phyllidiella we might as well give up and lump them all into P. pustulosa. I suspect the animals from Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean which I have been calling Phyllidiella cf. annulata are also P. meandrina. I have discussed my ideas on this species in a separate message.

Thanks again Marina. I think your photos have helped me sort out at least one problem amongst the phyllidiids.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Nov 8). Comment on Phyllidiella meandrina from Indian Ocean [1] by Marina Poddubetskaia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8311

Factsheet

Phyllidiella meandrina

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