Phidiana militaris (Alder & Hancock, 1864)

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

Phidiana militaris (Alder & Hancock, 1864) Figure 18F

Material examined.

Two specimens 30-35 mm, SO; two specimens 30-40 mm, HF.

Ecology.

Occasionally found among rubble and corals in reef habitats. Most abundant at some artificial reef sites at the island, which were initially constructed from steel rebar or concrete to support coral restoration efforts. It is likely that these substrates, while promoting scleractinian conservation, also support different potential prey items than might be found in coral reef or soft sediment habitats. Depth 8-25 m.

Distribution.

Across the Indo-Pacific including the Gulf of Oman ( Fatemi and Attaran 2015), Red Sea ( Yonow 2008), Malaysia ( Ho 1989), United Arab Emirates, India, Singapore, and the Philippines ( Gosliner et al. 2008). Known to have been introduced into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea ( Rothman et al. 2017). Known from Andaman and Gulf waters of Thailand ( Gosliner et al. 2008; Mehrotra and Scott 2016).

Figures

Figure 18. A Myja cf. longicornis 9 mm (photograph by Phannee Mccarthy) B, C Noumeaella sp. 1 5 mm D, E Noumeaella sp. 2 5 mm (photographs by Tony Myshlyaev) F Phidiana militaris 35 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) G Phidiana sp. 7 mm H Phyllodesmium magnum 30 mm I Phyllodesmium cf. magnum 35 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) J Phyllodesmium opalescens 35 mm, (photograph by Guillaume Gandoin) K Phyllodesmium sp. 55 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) L Armina occulta 65 mm.