Phyllidia picta (Pruvot-Fol, 1957) - Phyllidiidae

Phyllidia picta

(Pruvot-Fol, 1957)

Also known as: Fryeria menindie, Fryeria picta

Photographed by: Ken Tucker

Comment from Dr. Richard C. Willan: The ventral anal position is now no longer considered sufficient to separate the genus Fryeria apart from Phyllidia since their other internal organs – particularly the anterior section of the digestive duct– are all the same.

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Opisthobranchia
Order:	Nudibranchia
Suborder:	Doridina
Family:	Phyllidiidae
Species:	Phyllidia picta

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #5580

A very small juvenile individual.

Comment from Nathalie Yonow on photo #5449

The lower two are Phyllidia picta; the upper one should be Phyllidia marindica, that funny variety with just the transverse lines across the dorsum which seems to happen in the Pacific. Very interesting!

Comment from Nathalie Yonow on photo #1676

It has black ground colour rather than four black lines of Phyllidia varicosa.

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #3773

By contrast, Phyllidia varicosa would have more continuous mid-dorsal ridges as in the individual in the next photo and it would not have the black arching radial pattern laterally (not all the black rays are visible in this photo because they are hidden by the black sponge).

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #3329

By contrast, Phyllidia ruppelii (sic), which is endemic to the Red Sea, is characterised by a yellow-orange marginal band. Note the white egg sacs of a parasitic copepod (Doridicola sp.) visible at the posterior end of one of the main tubercles.

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #2382

Comment from Dr. Nathalie Yonow: Another controversy. I do not agree that Fryeria with its anus below is the same genus as Phyllidia with a dorsal anus.

Comment from Richard Willan on photo #2040

A typical individual. Note the black arches radiating to touch the outermost margin of the mantle. The anus is on the undersurface of the mantle. There is no black longitudinal stripe on the foot sole.

Comment from Neville Coleman on photo #204

Grows to around 55mm and is known from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific where it is not considered common