Phyllidia madangensis

Phyllidia madangensis is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Phyllidiidae.[2]

Phyllidia madangensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily:
Phyllidioidea
Family:
Phyllidiidae
Genus:
Phyllidia
Species:
P. madangensis
Binomial name
Phyllidia madangensis
Brunckhorst, 1993[1]

Distribution

This species was described from Madang, Papua New Guinea. It has been reported from Vanuatu and Sulawesi.[3]

Description

This nudibranch has a black dorsum with large yellow-capped tubercles surrounded by white, slightly translucent, rings. These rings are elongated towards the head and tail where they surround the larger tubercles in the middle of the dorsum. Towards the edge of the mantle these tubercles become smaller and scattered, the smallest without any yellow caps. The rhinophores are yellow. It is similar to Phyllidia carlsonhoffi but P. madangensis has a small white tubercle on the front edge of each rhinophore pocket, not directly in front of the rhinophore but situated towards the midline of the body. The sole of the foot in P. madangensis does not have a dark median line.[3]

Diet

This species feeds on a sponge.

References
  1. Brunckhorst D.J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of phyllidiid nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum suppl. 16: 1-108.
  2. Bouchet, P. (2015). Phyllidia madangensis Brunckhorst, 1993. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2016-10-27.
  3. Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 12) Phyllidia madangensis Brunckhorst, 1993. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
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