Phirkocerous katoi Newman & Cannon, 1996

Padmanaban, P., Kumar, A. Anand, Kumar, R. Rajendar, Surendar, C. & Vanishree, J., 2020, On the Polyclads from the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve with new records, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 120 (4), pp. 445-453 : 446

1. Phirkocerous katoi Newman & Cannon, 1996 ( Figure 2 )

Material examined: ZSI/ MBRC /PL-346, 1 ex, Keelakarai (9°20–59.79”N78°74’28.38”E), 25.xii.2018, at 2 m depth among dead coral rubble .

Diagnosis: Body bright orange colour, two clusters of white microdots behind cerebral eyespot and posteriorly, white raised microdots covering the entire dorsal surface in irregular clusters, also concentrated medially in two distinct clusters behind the cerebral eyespot and posteriorly. Ventral surface orange, darker at the margin, Size: 30 mm (mature).

Distribution: India: Keelakarai,GoM; Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Elsewhere: Heron Is., southern GBR, Australia.

Remarks: This species is recorded for the first time from the Gulf of Mannar and forms second locality in India after it was reported from Andaman and Nicobar Islands ( Sreeraj et al., 2015).

Figures

Figure 2. Phirkocerous katoi Newman & Cannon, 1966.