Phyllidiella annulata
(Gray, 1853)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Phyllidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from the Red Sea, tropical Indian Ocean and central-western Pacific Ocean.

PHOTO

: 9 m depth, Asan Bay, Guam, 9 July 1988, dorsal view of 31 mm specimen (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 5G); 3 m depth, Bile Bay, Guam, 28 June 1988, dorsal view of 28 mm specimen (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 5H).

Notes compiled from Brunckhorst, 1993:
Phyllidiella annulata has a distinctive dorsal pattern consisting of numerous pink rings (with small, low tubercles) on a black background. Records show that P. annulata attains a smaller size (approximately half) than Phyllidiella pustulosa . Phyllidiella annulata lacks compound tubercles (as in P. pustulosa and Phyllidiella zeylanica, tubercular clusters (P. pustulosa), and ridges of tubercles (P. zeylanica). Phyllidia ocellata also differs in having yellow coloration.

Brunckhorst (1993) considered Phyllidiella meandrina and Phyllidiella sudanensis to be synonyms of P. annulata - but see message suggesting that P. meandrina is a distinct species. See also Phyllidiella cf. annulata.

Reference:
• Brunckhorst, D.J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (September 11) Phyllidiella annulata (Gray, 1853). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/phylannu

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