Phyllidiella granulata
Brunckhorst, 1993

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Phyllidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from the tropical western Pacific Ocean (Micronesia to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia).

PHOTO

18 m depth, Bile Bay, Guam, 29 June 1988, Dorsal view of 20 and 29 mm specimens (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 7A).

Notes compiled from Brunckhorst, 1993:
The distinguishing external features of P. granulata are the grey background with conical and acute compound white tubercles, and the circular black bands medially. The granular white pattern on the grey foot sole of live specimens is also characteristic. Phyllidiella granulata possesses fewer lamellae on the rhinophoral clavus than most other species of Phyllidiella, except Phyllidiella rosans.

Phyllidiella pustulosa has three clusters of tubercles which vary ontogenetically in their state of amalgamation, the background colour is black and the tubercles are pink (white tubercles in P. granulata). Phyllidiella pustulosa is further separated by its grey ventral coloration. Phyllidiella cooraburrama differs from the present species primarily in having very large, isolated, smooth, rounded tubercles which are pink. Phyllidiella rudmani also has rounded, white capped tubercles but its background coloration is bright pink and it has two longitudinal black stripes. Phyllidiella rudmani possesses a greater number of lamellae on each rhinophoral clavus (23-26 for specimens greater than 27 mm).

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 (September 12) Phyllidiella granulata Brunckhorst, 1993. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/phylgran

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