Phyllidiella meandrina (Pruvot-Fol, 1957)

Description

A medium-sized phyllidiid up to about 55 mm in length. The dorsum is black, decorated with pinkish to grey rounded tubercles. Along the flanks the tubercles are arranged in longitudinal rows, while across the central back the tubercles encircle the median ridge in winding, maze-like rings — the feature for which the species is named. The rhinophores are black.

Distribution

Originally described from a specimen labelled "Java" (Indonesia), now held at the BMNH. Subsequently recorded broadly across the Indo-West Pacific, including South Africa, Réunion, Mauritius, the Red Sea, and Indonesia.

Etymology

The specific epithet meandrina is Latin for "meandering" or "labyrinthine", derived from the ancient Greek river Maeander. It refers to the winding rings formed by the tubercles around the median ridge of the dorsum.

Remarks

Externally similar to Phyllidiella annulata but distinguished by the winding rings of tubercles around the median ridge of the back; P. annulata instead has many small pink rings of low tubercles spread more evenly across the dorsum.

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References

• Phyllidia meandrina n. sp., Pruvot-Fol A. (1957). Révision de la famille des Phyllidiadae (2). Journal de Conchyliologie, Paris. 97: 104-135.
• Phyllidia meandrina Pruvot-Fol, 1957 (redescribed; synonymy with P. varicosa proposed), Brunckhorst D.J. (1993). The systematics and phylogeny of phyllidiid nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.
• Phyllidiella meandrina, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.