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Phyllidia

Phyllidia

Description

Phyllidia is a genus of dorid nudibranchs in the family Phyllidiidae and is accepted in WoRMS; the type species is P. varicosa. Wikipedia gives about 25 living species. The family Phyllidiidae is mainly Indo-Pacific, and its members are sponge predators without a radula or jaws that suck on sponges, with warning colours signalling chemical defence. P. varicosa is large (up to about 115 mm) and widespread in the Indo-West Pacific including the Red Sea.

Identification

Across the family the mantle is flat and oval with hard tubercles, the rhinophores are lamellate and retractable, and the gills sit in a groove under the mantle rather than on the back. A molecular study describes Phyllidia as often bright yellow or orange combined with black and white. In P. varicosa there are 3 to 6 longitudinal tuberculate ridges with yellow-capped tubercles.

Phyllidia Identification key (PDF) ↗

Species in this genus (12)

Sources (5)

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Phyllidia