Platydoris cinerobranchiata
Dorgan, Valdes & Gosliner, 2002
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae
PHOTO
Tulagi, Florida group, Solomon Islands. April 2002, approx 5 meters. Approx 19cm long. Photo: Bruce Potter
Prior to its naming, this species was known on the Forum as Platydoris sp. 3.
Reference:
• K.M. Dorgan, A. Valdes and T.M. Gosliner. 2002. Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Platydoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Doridoidea) with descriptions of six new species. Zoologica Scripta, 31: 271-319.
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (January 2) Platydoris cinerobranchiata Dorgan, Valdes & Gosliner, 2002. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/platcine
Related messages
Platydoris sp. 3 = Platydoris cinerobranchiata
January 4, 2003
From: Terry Gosliner
Hi Bill,
Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. Thanks for updating the Platydoris sp. 1 to P. ocellata. I had hoped to send you an email but several others beat me to the punch. Platydoris sp. 3 is our newly described Platydoris cinerobranchiata.
All the best,
Terry
tgosliner@calacademy.org
Thanks Terry,
I have yet to see a copy of the published work. I'll add some details when I do.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman
Platydoris cf. formosa from the Solomons
May 7, 2002
From: Bruce Potter
Dear Bill,
I was diving on a rather horrible dead coral and rubbish site last weekend [April 2002]. This was at Tulagi, in the Florida group of islands, Solomon Islands. At about 5 meters, and under a piece of dead coral, I found this P. formosa.
It was about 190mm long. It had a chunk bitten out of its mantle and an apparently damaged left rhinophore. This critter was like nothing so much as a piece of coloured linoleum. It was thin and stiff, and yet when it moved over rocks and stuff, it seemed to follow the hills and hollows like it was soft and pliable. Very interesting.
Regards
Bruce Potter.
bruce.potter@adventist.org.sb
Potter, B., 2002 (May 7) Platydoris cf. formosa from the Solomons. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6482Thanks Bruce,
All species of Platydoris have this hard leathery feel, but as you say, they are really quite flexible when they move. I am not sure whether this form with patches of different shades of red and pink is Platydoris formosa or a different species. That species and Platydoris cruenta are charcterised by brown marks and bright red patches whereas this 'species' usually has an assortment of different coloured reddish, or orange patches and no brown specks or lines. The scientific literature is a bit confused on this group at present so I think I will leave it as Platydoris sp. 3 at present.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
