Dermatobranchus phyllodes Gosliner & Fahey, 2011

Description

Large species reaching 27–45 mm. Body elongate, flattened, narrowing posteriorly. The foot projects only slightly beyond the distinct mantle margin. The dorsum bears deep dorsal ridges running nearly perpendicular to the mantle edge, giving it a distinct leaf-like appearance. The oral veil extends forward with blunt corners and is often notched medially. Widely spaced rhinophores sit behind the oral veil with longitudinal lamellae on the rounded club; the stalk does not narrow noticeably.
Ground colour of the dorsum, oral veil and foot is pale green with pinkish blotches also prevalent. Dark green speckles and spots of various sizes are scattered randomly over the dorsum, and a U-shaped band of dark green pigment lies on the anterior third of the notum. Rhinophore stalks are white and the clubs are dark. The oral veil is opaque white with dark spots along the anterior margin and a pale orange edge; the foot margin bears small dark speckles.

Distribution

Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Type locality: Christmas Bay, Bagabag Island, off Madang, Papua New Guinea, 7 m.

Etymology

Verbatim from the original description (Gosliner & Fahey, 2011, p.330):

The specific name phyllodes is from the Greek word meaning 'leaflike: chlorophyll' in reference to the distinctive leaf-like appearance of this species' dorsum.

Remarks

The only species of Dermatobranchus in which all lateral teeth lack denticles.

---

References

• Dermatobranchus sp. 6 (Rudman 2001), Rudman W.B. (1998-2010). Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. http://www.seaslugforum.net/
• lobed Dermatobranchus, Coleman N. (2008). Nudibranchs Encyclopedia: Catalogue of Asia/Indo-Pacific Sea Slugs. Neville Coleman's Underwater Geographic Pty Ltd, Springwood, Australia. 416 pp.
• Dermatobranchus sp. 2, Gosliner T.M., Behrens D.W. & Valdés Á. (2008). Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs: A field guide to the world's most diverse fauna. Sea Challengers Natural History Books, 426 pp.
• Dermatobranchus phyllodes sp. nov., GOSLINER T.M. & FAHEY S.J. (2011). Previously undocumented diversity and abundance of cryptic species: a phylogenetic analysis of Indo-Pacific Arminidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) with descriptions of 20 new species of Dermatobranchus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 161(2): 245-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00649.x
• Dermatobranchus phyllodes, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.
• コノハオトメウミウシ（新称）, 中野理枝. (2018). 日本のウミウシ. 文一総合出版.