Platydoris ocellata
Dorgan, Valdes & Gosliner, 2002
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical western Pacific
PHOTO
Upper: Pulau Tolandono, Tukang Besi Archipelago, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia. Depth 12-14 m. 20 August 1999. Approx 250 mm long. Photo: Dan Johnston.
Lower: Tumbila, Florida group (Nggela), Solomon Islands. Approx 100mm long. Photo: Scott Johnson
Typical shape for the genus with a broad, thin, leathery mantle skirt and raised crenulate rhinophore and gill pockets. Mantle brown with small raise white tubercles. Around the mantle edge is a cream to yellowish marginal band and a dark reddish brown submarginal band. On the inside of this brown band there is sometimes a continuation of the yellowish margin, and sometimes a translucent white band which gradually diffuses into the brown background. Usually there are scattered white spots, ringed with dark brown, on the mantle. In some specimens these are large and prominent, while in other specimens they are small and inconspicuous. Prior to its naming, this species was known on the Forum as Platydoris sp. 1.
References:
• K.M. Dorgan, A. Valdes and T.M. Gosliner. 2002. Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Platydoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Doridoidea) with descriptions of six new species. Zoologica Scripta, 31: 271-319.
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (December 30) Platydoris ocellata Dorgan, Valdes & Gosliner, 2002. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/platocel
Related messages
Platydoris ocellata from Indonesia
June 7, 2007
From: Roberto Sozzani
Dear Bill,
Only recently, while searching the Forum, could I give a name to this huge animal, photographed few years ago in a night dive. It was too big to fit in a single shot.
Locality: Alor Island, 8 metres, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean, June 2003, Coral and sandy slope. Length: 30-35 cm. Photographer: Roberto Sozzani.
In the forum it's named both Platydoris sp.1 and Platydoris ocellata. Should I presume the last one is the right name?
So, once again, thanks to the forum!
Best wishes
Roberto Sozzani
www.robertosozzani.it
roberto.sozzani@fastwebnet.it
Sozzani, R., 2007 (Jun 7) Platydoris ocellata from Indonesia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19247
Dear Roberto,
When you are set up for 'normal sized' nudibranchs these large animals are always difficult to photograph. I'm glad you were able to identify it.
Concerning name changes on the Forum. I try and leave a 'paper trail' so that old references still make sense. When a numbered species on the Forum [such as Platydoris sp. 1] finally gets a name I transfer the relevant messages over to the new name [Platydoris ocellata] and make a note on each message about the name change. As in this case I leave the old Platydoris sp 1 Fact Sheet on the Forum so if anyone has an old link they can find out what has happened.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Platydoris sp. 1 from the Solomons
December 31, 2002
From: Juan Lucas Cervera
Dear Bill and Scott,
Concerning Scott's Platydoris sp. 1. It resembles very much the Platydoris ocellata, recently described by Dorgan, Valdes and Gosliner (2002):
• K.M. Dorgan, A. Valdes and T.M. Gosliner. 2002. Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Platydoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Doridoidea) with descriptions of six new species. Zoologica Scripta, 31: 271-319.
I think Angel or Terry could help for a definitive identification of the Solomon's animal.
Regards.
Lucas
lucas.cervera@uca.es
Thanks Lucas,
I am sure it is that species. I knew this paper was in gestation, but I didn't know it was actually published, so couldn't use the name. Thanks also to Nishina Masayoshi and Michael D. Miller for drawing my attention to this paper
Cheers,
Bill Rudman
Platydoris sp. 1 from the Solomons
December 23, 2002
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
Here are some photos of Platydoris sp 1 taken in the Solomon Islands. This was one of two specimens observed on a night dive at Tumbila in the Florida group (Nggela). They were probably around 100mm in length, much too large for my half-life-size framers, and my full body shot turned out a bit fuzzy. The stiff, flattened body was very Platydoris-like.
Scott Johnson
johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu
Johnson, S., 2002 (Dec 23) Platydoris sp. 1 from the Solomons. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8330Thanks Scott,
Bill Rudman
Platydoris? from Sulawesi
January 27, 2001
From: Lindsay Warren
Dear Bill
These two specimens were found by Dan Johnston at 8pm on 20 August 1999 at a depth of 12-14 m on a rubble slope on Pulau Tolandono [Tukang Besi Archipelago, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia - Operation Wallacea]. Size: approximately 250 mm. Photo: Dan Johnston.
Are they a known species?
All the best
Lindsay Warren
alldcl@compuserve.com
Warren, L., 2001 (Jan 27) Platydoris? from Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2194Dear Lindsay,
This seems to be a species of Platydoris but I am not sure if it is named or not. Unfortunately quite a few early expeditions collected and named species, but the descriptions are very poor. Only as we get a better understanding of what is in the sea will be able make a better attempt at understanding some of these early descriptions.
Bill Rudman
