Phyllidia haegeli explained

Phyllidia haegeli is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Phyllidiidae.[1]

Distribution

This species was described from Trawangan slope reef, Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. It also occurs in Bali and Anilao in the Philippines.[2]

Description

This nudibranch has a blue background to the dorsum, becoming darker at the margin. It has a pattern of four longitudinal black lines on the dorsum separating three ridges with tall yellow-capped tubercles surrounded by pale blue. At the edge of the mantle there are vertical lines of smaller tubercles with darker centres with broken black lines between them. The rhinophores are yellow. It is similar in appearance to Phyllidia coelestis, Phyllidia varicosa and Phyllidia picta.

Diet

This species feeds on a sponge.

Notes and References

  1. Bouchet, P. (2015). Phyllidia haegeli (Fahrner & Beck, 2000). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2016-11-03.
  2. Siers, S. (2009). Phyllidia haegeli (as Phyllidia varicosa), Nudipixel, accessed 2016-11-18