Durvilledoris pusilla
(Bergh, 1874)

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

DISTRIBUTION

Tropical Indo-West Pacific

PHOTO

Coffs Harbour Region, New South Wales, December 1990, C164622. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.

The mantle is a pale pink with a broad cream-white or yellowish band at the edge. There is an elongate white streak in the midline between the rhinophores and another in front of the gills. Around the anterior and posterior ends and twice down each side of the mantle, the inside edge of creamy yellow border is excavated out and replaced by a washy purple patch. The gills and rhinophores are tinged with orange.

See the Noumea purpurea Colour Group Page to compare this species with others of similar colour.

Reference:
•Rudman,W. B. (1986) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Noumea purpurea and Chromodoris decora colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 86(4): 309-353.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (November 6) Durvilledoris pusilla (Bergh, 1874). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/durvpusi

Related messages


Durvilledoris pusilla from sthn Queensland

August 18, 2009
From: Gary Cobb


Concerning message #22222:

Hi Bill and everyone!
Here yet again is another record from our area of a very beautiful species - Durvilledoris pusilla. We found our second one this past weekend. Excitement prevailed!

Locality: Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 16 m, Queensland, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 15 June 2009, Subtidal and Intertidal. Length: 25 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb.

Cheers
Gary Cobb

gary@nudibranch.com.au

Cobb, G.C., 2009 (Aug 18) Durvilledoris pusilla from sthn Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22555

Dear Gary,

Sorry it's taken a while to post your exciting find - beyond my control unfortunately.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Aug 18). Comment on Durvilledoris pusilla from sthn Queensland by Gary Cobb. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22555

Durvilledoris pusilla from Thailand

February 9, 2009
From: Marcel Tanke

Concerning message #22126:

Dear Bill,
We found this, which I think this is Durvellidoris pusilla, on the ceiling of a small cavern.

Locality: South of Phi Phi Island, 15 meter, Thailand, Ademan Sea, 25 January 2009. Length: about 1 cm. Photographer: Reinhold Mueller.

Best regards,
Marcel

marceltanke@cs.com

Tanke, M.A., 2009 (Feb 9) Durvilledoris pusilla from Thailand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22222

Dear Marcel,

Yes this is D. pusilla. As you will have seen on the Noumea purpurea Colour Group Page there are a number of other species which can be confused with this species. Compared with Hugues Flodrops animal, the gills of yours are the typical colour pattern.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Feb 9). Comment on Durvilledoris pusilla from Thailand by Marcel Tanke. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22222

Purple gill coloration in Durvilledoris pusilla

January 13, 2009
From: Hugues Flodrops


Concerning message #12980:

Dear Bill and everyone,
Happy new year!
Here is a Durvilledoris pusilla with upper half of the seven gills with purple coloration. These variant in gills was noted by P. Bidgrain in message #12980.

Locality: Etang-Salé "Permanent Pool, 1 metre, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, 31 December 2008 . Length: 18 mm. Photographer: Hugues Flodrops.

Best regards.
Hugues.

hugues.flodrops@wanadoo.fr

Flodrops,H., 2009 (Jan 13) Purple gill coloration in Durvilledoris pusilla. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22126

Dear Hugues,

As the page on the Noumea purpurea Colour Group  illlustrates, there are a number of species with very similar colour patterns. The only way to resolve some identification puzzles is to look at their internal anatomy. Certainly the gill colour in your specimens, with an orange base and a purple tip is unusual for Durvilledoris pusilla, but I know of no other species with the same pattern of pink 'tongues' with purple edging extending out into the yellow mantle margin. It would be valuable if anyone with photos of this species could check to see if they have a photo of an animal showing an 'intermediate' gill colour. 

Interestingly, this gill colour reminds me of that found in Durvilledoris lemniscata. I am pretty sure Scott Johnson's animal which I have on the Forum as Durvilledoris cf pusilla, is an extreme form of your animal.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 13). Comment on Purple gill coloration in Durvilledoris pusilla by Hugues Flodrops. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22126

Durvilledoris pusilla - abnormal rhinophores

June 29, 2006
From: Ching-Yao Chan


Dear Bill,

When I first saw this small animal I didi not notice the rhinophores, but when I looked more carefully I noticed their strange Y-shape.

Locality: Kenting, 8 metres, Taiwan, 23 June 2006. Length: 10 mm. Photographer: Ching-Yao Chan.

I particulalry wanted to share the photos with you.

Best wishes,
C.Y.Chan
http://seaslug.myweb.hinet.net

logic.chan@msa.hinet.net

Chan, C.Y., 2006 (Jun 29) Durvilledoris pusilla - abnormal rhinophores. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17000

Dear Ching-Yao,

Thanks for these photos. It is a strange abnormality. I wonder if it is twice as efficient at smelling its food?

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 29). Comment on Durvilledoris pusilla - abnormal rhinophores by Ching-Yao Chan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17000

Durvilledoris pusilla from the Red Sea

April 13, 2006
From: Oren Lederman

Hi Bill,

Found this little one last weekend. Is it a Durvilledoris pusilla?

Locality: The "Princess" beach, Eilat bay, ~20 meters, Israel, Red Sea, 9 April 2006. Length: ~1 cm. Photographer: Oren Lederman.

Oren

lederman@bigmail.co.il

Lederman, O., 2006 (Apr 13) Durvilledoris pusilla from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16301

Dear Oren,
Yes, this is D. pusilla.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Durvilledoris pusilla from Wakatobi, Indonesia

October 24, 2005
From: F.C. Castillo

Dear Dr Rudman,
I would appreciate your help in identifying this tiny nudibranch (about 1 cm in length) found at the Fan Garden divesite near Wakatobi in about 18 m of water. Its shape looks similar to that of Chromodoris fidelis, it even has the blue fringe between the two colour areas, but of course the colours are inverted, with the reddish tone inside and the creamy tone in the outer part of the mantle and in the foot.

The picture was taken on 15 September 2005.

Thank you so much.

Fuensanta Candela Castillo

Candela Castillo, F., 2005 (Oct 24) Durvilledoris pusilla from Wakatobi, Indonesia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15093

Dear Fuensanta,
This is Durvilledoris pusilla. If you have  a look at the Noumea purpurea colour group Fact Sheet you will see this colourful animal is just one of a group of similarly coloured species
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Oct 24). Comment on Durvilledoris pusilla from Wakatobi, Indonesia by F.C. Castillo. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15093

Durvilledoris pusilla from Reunion Island

February 21, 2005
From: Philibert Bidgrain


Dear Bill,
Reunion Island sea slugs.

We have found two specimens of Durvilledoris pusilla, the upper one was found by Maurice Jay  "Grande mare de Baramine", at Saint Paul (Reunion Island), 11 November 88, and the lower one was found by Philibert Bidgrain in Etang salé les bains lagoon, 8 December 2004, size: 10 mm

Best Regards
Philibert Bidgrain

pbidgrain@yahoo.fr

Bidgrain, P., 2005 (Feb 21) Durvilledoris pusilla from Reunion Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12980

Thanks Philibert,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Durvilledoris pusilla from Malaysia

May 15, 2003
From: Teng Jan Shir

We would be very grateful if you could help us to identify the species of the attached pic.

Location: Redang island, east coast of peninsular Malaysia
Dive site: Terumbu Kiri
Depth: 12m, hardcoral- acropora
size : 1cm
date : May 2003

Thank you.
Teng Jan Shir

tengjanshir@yahoo.com

Shir, T.J., 2003 (May 15) Durvilledoris pusilla from Malaysia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9825

Dear Teng,
This is Durvilledoris pusilla.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (May 15). Comment on Durvilledoris pusilla from Malaysia by Teng Jan Shir. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9825

Durvilledoris pusilla from Northern Sulawesi

October 2, 2002
From: Marli Wakeling

Hi Bill,
Another beauty from Lembeh Strait [July, 2002]. I first thought it to be Noumea varians, but I now think it is Durvilledoris pusilla.

Location: Nudi Falls, Lembeh Straight, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Depth: 40 feet
Length: 2cm
Photograph: Marli Wakeling

Cheers,
Marli

scubamarli@excite.com

Wakeling, M., 2002 (Oct 2) Durvilledoris pusilla from Northern Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8089

Thanks Marli,
Yes this is Durvilledoris pusilla.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Durvilledoris pusilla from Hachijo Japan

July 28, 2002
From: Nishina Masayoshi

Dear Bill,
What a beautiful animal this is!

Data:
Date: 20 July, 2002
Location: Hachijo Island Japan
Depth: 6m
Length: 8mm
Photo C. Nishina

Best Regards,
Nishina Masayoshi

nishina@wips.co.jp

Masayoshi, N., 2002 (Jul 28) Durvilledoris pusilla from Hachijo Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7625

Thanks Nishina & Chikako,
One good thing about studying opisthobranchs, is that we will never run out of beautiful and amzing things to look at
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Durvilledoris pusilla from the Solomon Ids

April 27, 2001
From: Bruce Potter

Bill,
I found this Durvilledoris pusilla yesterday. It was very small at about 15mm. it was on algae covered dead coral at about 8 meters.

Is 15mm the full adult size?, or was it still only juvenile? It was moving along lifting the front edge of its mantle rythmically like a Risbecia does.

I found it at a site just outside of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. For the past couple of years this has been a brilliant Nudibranch site, but it has been damaged by big seas during the past wet season, and there are not so many Nudibranchs around just now.
Regards
Bruce Potter

bruce.potter@adventist.org.sb

Potter, B., 2001 (Apr 27) Durvilledoris pusilla from the Solomon Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4227

Thanks Bruce,
I hope your nudibranch site doesn't take too long to recover. Concerning size, I'm sorry I haven't any dimensions for Durvilledoris pusilla on the Forum - an oversight. Species of Durvilledoris are quite small, and 15-20mm would be about the maximum length this species reaches.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Apr 27). Comment on Durvilledoris pusilla from the Solomon Ids by Bruce Potter. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4227

Durvilledoris pusilla from Marshall Ids

December 8, 1999
From: Scott Johnson


Hi Bill,

Attached are shots of Durvilledoris pusilla from the Marshall Islands. Individuals here can range from a peachy pink dorsal coloration to a deep orange red.

Scott

johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu

Johnson, S., 1999 (Dec 8) Durvilledoris pusilla from Marshall Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1651

Thanks Scott,
Bill Rudman.