Philine orca (Pease, 1860)

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

* Philine orca (Pease, 1860) Figure 8D

Material examined.

Two individuals 2-4 mm, CB; one individual 3 mm, SB.

Ecology.

Observed exclusively under dead Fungiidae coral skeletons where it is extremely cryptic, although it may be abundant. The only cephalaspidean species recorded exclusively from the coral reef habitat at Koh Tao. Depth 3-8 m.

Distribution.

Widespread across the Indo-Pacific including Japan ( Baba 1990), Australia ( Nimbs and Smith 2016), Madagascar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and the Galapagos Islands ( Gosliner et al. 2008). Here documented as a first record for Thai waters.

Figures

Figure 8. A Migaya sp. 3 mm B Siphopteron makisig 3 mm C Siphopteron sp. 3 mm (photograph by Will Malsukum) D Philine orca 3 mm E Aplysia kurodai 30 mm (photograph by Geoffrey Chamayou) F Aplysia nigrocincta 9 mm G Bursatella cf. ocelligera 65 mm (photograph by Elouise Haskin) H Stylocheilus longicauda 45 mm (photograph by Kirsty Magson) I Stylocheilus striatus 29 mm J Berthella cf. caledonica 10 mm K Berthella martensi 60 mm (photograph by Paddy Steele) L Pleurobranchus forskalii 130 mm (photograph by Tine Kvamme).