Platydoris pulchra
Eliot, 1904

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

DISTRIBUTION

Indian Ocean - Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Sri Lanka

PHOTO

Locality: Fumba, Zanzibar, Tanzania. under rocks on reef flat. 2 specimens 50 mm and 45 mm long alive. 6 August 1971. Photo: Bill Rudman.

The body shape is typical for the genus with a wide mantle skirt and relatively narrow body, The mantle skirt is firm and leathery to touch. The edge of the gill pocket is raised and lobed, and the rhinophore pockets are slightly raised. The mantle has a translucent white background colour but it is mainly obscured by light orange and patches of darker orange. Around the mantle edge there are purplish blue patches. The underside of the mantle is translucent white with small bluish patches.

  • Dorgan, K.M., Valdes, A. & Gosliner, T.M. (2002) Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Platydoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Dorididea) with descriptions of six new species. Zoologica Scripta, 31(3): 271-319.
  •  Eliot, C.N.E. (1904) On some nudibranchs from East Africa and Zanzibar. Part III. Dorididae Cryptobranchiatae, I. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1903(2): 354-385, Pls. 32-34.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (October 16) Platydoris pulchra Eliot, 1904. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/platpulc

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