Philinopsis pilsbryi
(Eliot, 1900)

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Family: Aglajidae

DISTRIBUTION

Tropical Indo-West Pacific.

PHOTO

Noumea, New Caledonia. 30 mm long alive. October 1988. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.

The animal is translucent white with a pattern of black reticulate lines. In some specimens the lines are relatively thin and the the head shield pattern is essentially a black figure of eight with some smaller rings and reticulations anteriorly, and similar figure of eight, often broken, is found on the posterior shield. The upper, outer edge of the parapodia has a black reticulation and the ventral part of the parapodia and the foot are colourless. The colour pattern though is very variable and tuns through to animals which could best be described as being black dorsally with white spots. In these black variations there are usually two large white spots on the headshield and the posterior shield. In these darker forms, the colour is somewhat similar to that of some variants of P. reticulata, but in that species the black reticulation always extends across the ventral surface of the foot, and there are blue patches along the parapodial edge.

Philinopsis pilsbryi is another of the genus with a long tubular pharynx. See Philinopsis gardineri for information.

• Rudman,W.B., (1972) A comparative study of the genus Philinopsis Pease, 1860 (Aglajidae, Opisthobranchia). Pacific Science, 26: 381-399.
• Rudman,W.B., (1972) Structure and functioning of the gut in the Bullomorpha (Opisthobranchia). Journal of Natural History, 6: 547-560.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (July 27) Philinopsis pilsbryi (Eliot, 1900). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/philpils

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