Phyllidiopsis fissurata
A dorid nudibranch with pink tubercles on a black body.
Phyllidiopsis fissurata is a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk, a type of dorid nudibranch belonging to the family Phyllidiidae. This sea slug reaches about 5 to 8 centimeters in length. Its back is black and covered with many tall, pink tubercles. The rhinophores are pink with black tips, and a black line runs along their rear edge; a semitransparent film rises around them. The anal region forms a smooth, tall, raised pink papilla. The species is found across the central and western Pacific, with recorded sightings at the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, and Lord Howe Island, and occasionally in Hawaii.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Phyllidiopsis fissurata
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Phyllidiopsis fissurata has been noted at the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, and Lord Howe Island, and is sometimes found in Hawaii. This species is distributed throughout the central and western Pacific. The dorsal surface of the body has a black background with many tall, pink, tubercles. The rhinophores are black tipped and pink, with a black line on the posterior edge of the rhinophores, which have a semitransparent film raised around them. The anal region is a smooth, tall, raised pink papilla.
Reader's Guide
Phyllidiopsis fissurata is a species of sea slug in the family Phyllidiidae, as documented in the source article. Its description includes a size of 5-8 centimeters, a black dorsal surface with tall pink tubercles, and distinctive rhinophores with black tips and a semitransparent film. The species has been recorded at the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Lord Howe Island, and occasionally Hawaii, indicating a distribution across the central and western Pacific. The article references Brunckhorst (1993) for systematics and phylogeny, and lists several bibliographic sources including works by Coleman, Debelius, Marshall & Willan, and others, though these are not used for specific facts. The species' legacy lies in its contribution to the understanding of phyllidiid nudibranch diversity and distribution in the Indo-Pacific region, as described in the cited literature.
More in Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs, Part 2 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced