Pleurobranchus albiguttatus
(Bergh, 1905)

Order: NOTASPIDEA
Superfamily: PLEUROBRANCHOIDEA
Family: Pleurobranchidae

DISTRIBUTION

Indo-West Pacific

PHOTO

UPPER RIGHT: Sand Cay in front of Kaala-Gomen, near Koumac, New Caledonia, 20°40'S, 164°19'E, intertidal, with sea grass and living coral, 22 October 1993, 50mm long alive, AM C200579. LOWER RIGHT: Close-up of mantle showing polygonal markings and white triangular markings on dark brown tubercles.
LOWER LEFT: Île Amédée, SW Lagoon, 1m, 21 September 1988, reef crest, under coral rock, AM C156664. PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.

Originally described from Indonesia, and occurring from East Africa to the Great Barrier Reef (personal observations) Gosliner's photograph of a specimen from South Africa (as P. nigropunctatus) is the only other published record of this species. Externally it is easily recognised by the regularly arranged triangular white marks on the inside of dark brown tubercles. The tip of the white triangles point towards the mantle edge. This shading gives the spots the appearance of raised white pointed papillae.

See Pleurobranchus atlanticus which is possibly an Atlantic 'form' or 'sibling species'.

Reference:
• Bergh, L.S.R., (1905). Die Opisthobranchiata. Siboga Expeditie Report, 50: 248pp., Pls 1-20.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (October 20) Pleurobranchus albiguttatus (Bergh, 1905). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/pleualbi

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