Phyllidia polkadotsa
Brunckhorst, 1993

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Phyllidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from Hawaii.

PHOTO

13 mm specimen, 8 m depth, Makua, Oahu, Hawaii, 8 Feb. 1985, dorsal view, Photo: S. Johnson (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 4C).

Notes compiled from Brunckhorst, 1993:
Phyllidia polkadotsa is distinctively patterned. The dorsum is gold with black spots. Ventrally, it is coloured gold. The notal tubercles are low and rounded and there are three low, median longitudinal ridges. The male reproductive organs are elongate compared to other Phyllidia species.

The Mediterranean Phyllidia flava is gold but it has relatively larger tubercles capped in white and it lacks black pigmentation. Phyllidiopsis loricata possesses black spots but has a pale cream to white background colour. Phyllidia polkadotsa does not have any white pigmentation whereas Phyllidia ocellata often has black rings, bordered in white, and with a central gold or white tubercle. Phyllidia ocellata differs particularly from P. polkadotsa in having grey ventral coloration, many more fine lamellae (27-30) on the rhinophoral clavus and the absence of three, low, dorsal longitudinal ridges.

Reference:
• Brunckhorst, D.J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 12) Phyllidia polkadotsa Brunckhorst, 1993. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/phylpolk

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