Phyllidiopsis aff. holothuriana   Valdès, 2001

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This species has been observed on Mayotte Island


Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Euctenidiacea
Superfamily : Phyllidioidea
Family : Phyllidiidae
Distribution : Vanuatu and Reunion
Maximal size : 58 mm
Abundance :

Species characteristics :

Dorsum with a few large, simple, conical tubercles grading to smaller toward the margin, arranged sparsely

General body colour dark grey, some large black spot form a submarginal band, mantle margin edge with a gold yellow line

Larger tubercles gold-yellow with white bases some with blak parches forming  a ring between white and yellow area. Yellow spot on the base of larger tubercle. Smaller tubercle uniform yellow

phyllidiopsis holothuriana

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Photo Thierry Mulochau
Mayotte , Passe Bateau 70 à 85 m 7 March 2020

Remarks :

Identification proposed by  Angel Valdès but need prelevement fof confirmation...

Bibliographic data :

Species seems to leave in deep water from 100 to 500 m in Norfolk Ridge and Vanuatu, 70 to 85 m in Mayotte .
   Etymology : From the dorsal shape of the holotype, which superficially resembles as an holothuria

References :

Publications :

Valdés, Á. (2001). Deep-water phyllidiid nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Phyllidiidae) from the tropical south-west Pacific Ocean. in: Bouchet, P. et al. (Ed.) Tropical deep-sea benthos. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Série A, Zoologie. 185: 331-368

Other photos of Phyllidiopsis holothuriana :


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