Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis
(Yonow, 1988)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Phyllidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

The unique holotype was collected from the "Amphora site", Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea.

PHOTO

Red Sea, Egypt, "Elphinestone Reef, Length 1 cm, Depth 10 m, October 21 1997. PHOTO: Erwin Koehler. See message below.

Brunckhorst, (1993) did not have access to photos of the living colour and pattern of this species.
He notes: "It is probably black and pink (as observed for other Phyllidiopsis species with bicoloured rhinophores)". He also incorrectly describes the rhinophores as pink apically and black basally. Yonow (1988) described this species as having white tubercles on a black background, bicoloured rhinophores and lacking markings on the foot sole, but did not dissect the specimen. The anatomy of the holotype clearly places it in the genus Phyllidiopsis.

Principal distinguishing characters of P. sinaiensis include the tuberculate central ridge, large and multicompound, broad based, pink tubercles (the low tubercles of the holotype are artifacts), and bicoloured rhinophores, black apically and pink basally, with a black band running to the base in the posterior midline. In some specimens, the bases of the tubercles may fuse, leading to a predominately pink dorsum with only a few black lines.

  • Brunckhorst, D.J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.
  • Farhner, A. & Schroedl, M. 2000. Redescription of Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis (Yonow, 1988), with review of Red Sea Phyllidiidae. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 66: 467-476.

See Farhner & Schroedl's message below.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (August 4) Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis (Yonow, 1988). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/phylsina

Related messages

  1. Red Sea Phyllidiopsis
    From: Binyamin Koretz, December 30, 2004
  2. On the holotype of Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis
    From: Michael Schroedl , September 9, 2003
  3. Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis from Red Sea?
    From: Jukka-Pekka Salmenkaita, September 9, 2003
  4. Holotype of Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis - correction
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  5. Phyllidiella pustulosa from Egypt (2)
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  6. Phyllidiopsis krempfi? from Jordan
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  7. Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis from Egypt
    From: Michael Mrutzek, September 28, 2002
  8. Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis Holotype
    From: Bernard Picton , May 23, 2002
  9. Farhner & Schroedl's Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis
    From: Bernard Picton , May 23, 2002
  10. Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis? from Egypt
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 14, 2002
  11. Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis in the Red Sea
    From: A. Farhner & M. Schroedl, May 23, 2001
  12. Photo of Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis
    From: Erwin Koehler, August 4, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages