Phyllidia picta Pruvot-Fol, 1957

Mehrotra, Rahul, A. Caballer Gutierrez, Manuel, M. Scott, Chad, Arnold, Spencer, Monchanin, Coline, Viyakarn, Voranop & Chavanich, Suchana, 2021, An updated inventory of sea slugs from Koh Tao, Thailand, with notes on their ecology and a dramatic biodiversity increase for Thai waters, ZooKeys 1042, pp. 73-188 : 73

Phyllidia picta Pruvot-Fol, 1957 Figure 15A

Material examined.

Two specimens 28 mm, CB; one specimen 33 mm, TB.

Ecology.

Abundant in coral reef habitats. Depth 3-30 m

Distribution.

Known mostly from South-East Asia and the western Pacific including Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Japan, Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands ( Gosliner et al. 2008) and known from both Andaman and Gulf waters of Thailand ( Chavanich et al. 2013). Indian Ocean records are limited but include Socotra Island and Christmas Island ( Yonow 1996, 2012).

Remarks.

External identification of some specimens yielded the incorrect inclusion of Phyllidia marindica (Yonow & Hayward, 1991) by Mehrotra and Scott (2016) from Koh Tao. More intensive surveys have yielded no specimens that externally match P. marindica , which appears to be limited to the Indian Ocean. Brunckhorst (1993) recorded this species from the Andaman coast of Thailand and later Chavanich et al. (2013) included the species from the Gulf of Thailand. Collections of P. marindica from the Gulf of Thailand are needed to firmly establish its presence within the Gulf and therefore indicating its range as one not exclusive to the Indian Ocean.

Figures

Figure 15. A Phyllidia picta specimens 28 mm B Phyllidia varicosa 55 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) C Phyllidiella nigra 50 mm D Phyllidiella cf. pustulosa 35 mm E Phyllidiopsis loricata 28 mm F Gymnodoris cf. alba 25 mm (photograph by Tine Kvamme) G Gymnodoris ceylonica 35 mm H Gymnodoris impudica 60 mm I Gymnodoris inornata 28 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) J Gymnodoris sp. 1 25 mm (photograph by Pim Bontenbal) K, L Gymnodoris sp. 2 14 mm, same specimen feeding on Dendrodoris elongata.