OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Phyllidiella rudmani Brunckhorst, 1993 (33mm)
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Doridina
- Family: Phyllidiidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #2449
- Location: Horseshoe Cliffs, Okinawa (26o30.0'N, 127o50.9'E) [Horseshoe Cliffs, Seragaki]
- Date: 14 October, 1990 [May '84, Aug '89, Jul '90, Oct '90, Nov '90, Aug '92]
- Depth: 160ft (49m) [10ft, 60ft, 140ft, 150ft, 160ft (1 indiv. w/o depth data)]
- Water temperature at collection depth: Not recorded
- Size: TL 33mm [14mm, 33mm, 41mm, 46mm, 48mm (1 indiv. unmeasured)]
- Specimen deposited: RFB Personal Research Collection
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Phyllidiella rudmani is considered to be very rare on Okinawa as I have collected a total of six individuals; the initial specimen was collected on 31 May, 1984. Several additional animals have been photographed but not collected.
Phyllidiella rudmani has a pale pink dorsum with two longitudinal black stripes, as well as banded rhinophores (pink at the base and black above) and relatively tall tubercles. There are two other described phyllidiids on Okinawa which resemble P. rudmani, a species belonging to another genus, Phyllidiopsis pipeki and Phyllidiella granulata.
However, the pink dorsum and black banded rhinophores of P. rudmani segregate it from the other two species.
Etymology:
- Brunckhorst (1993) named the species in honor of Bill Rudman of the Australian Museum.
Literature Cited:
- Brunckhorst, D.J. 1993. The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs
(Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.
Page Date: 01 Feb '99
Page Modification Date: 22 Apr '02
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2002 Robert F. Bolland
