Phyllidiopsis papilligera from Honduras

May 4, 2002
From: Boo Nilsson

Noticed that you do not have a picture of a Phyllidopsis papilligera so I enclosed one. In some literature Phyllidopsis papilligera is referred to as Ceratophyllidia papilligera. Any idea what is the correct name?

The picture was taken in Roatan, Honduras in about 10-15 meters in November 2001. The specimen is about 30 mm in length. This is a fairly common nudibranch in this area.
Boo

boonilsson@cox.net

Nilsson, B., 2002 (May 4) Phyllidiopsis papilligera from Honduras. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6792

Thanks Boo,
It's always nice to have a gap filled. Concerning its name. Until quite recently it was known as Phyllidopsis papilligera but recently studies on its anatomy, especially the glands of the foregut suggest it is more appropriately placed in the genus Ceratophyllidia. While one aim of biological nomenclature is to provide a stable name for each species, another aim is to ensure the name reflects the phylogenetic [evolutionary] history of the species. So sometimes when we study the anatomy of a group it means moving species from one genus to another to better reflect their evolutionary relationships.

Any other contributions from Honduras would be very welcome.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 4). Comment on Phyllidiopsis papilligera from Honduras by Boo Nilsson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6792

Factsheet

Ceratophyllidia papilligera

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