Phyllidia flava

Phyllidia flava Aradas, 1847

• Phyllidia aurata Pruvot-Fol, 1952
• Phyllidia depressa Aradas, 1847
• Phyllidia papillosa Aradas, 1847
• Phyllidia pulitzeri Pruvot-Fol, 1962
• Phyllidia rolandiae Pruvot-Fol, 1951

Description
The specimens of this interesting species measure about 20-30 mm in length. This is a distinct species because of its lemon yellow colouring and the tubercles of the back which are of two types: some large, white and rounded ones and smaller, conical and coloured like the body and more abundant in the back of the dorsum. Albino specimens are known. The rhinophores are fully retractable, small, orange-brown coloured and have about 10-13 lamellae. The rhinophoric sheath has two small tubercles. There are no gill leaves around the anal papilla, which is located in the rear of the mantle and is surrounded by four small conical tubercles. Gill leaves are located beneath the mantle borders, between them and the body side walls on both sides. The gill leaves are numerous, small, triangular, alternating a smaller one with a somewhat bigger one. They are yellow like the body. Beneath the mantle, about 10-15 MDF’s white glands can be observed. The foot is coloured soft orange, it is narrow, with a rounded front and a sharp rear. The mouth has a pair of wide, yellow triangular labial palps.

Biology
This is a rare species in the western Mediterranean, where it is often found in coraligenous bottoms on sponges like Axinella cannabina, A. polypoides and Acanthella acuta. It has been proven that feeds on the latter. Specimens of P. flava have a very characteristic smell and when disturbed secrete a whitish antipredator substance of sesquiterpenoid structure (Wägele et al. 2006). The spawn is a relatively wide coiled ribbon with orange coloured eggs (Trainito & Doneddu, 2014).

Etymology

• Phyllidia. From Greek “Phyllon”, leaf + “eîdos”, something seen, form.
• Flava. From Latin “flavus”, yellow, golden.

Distribution
It seems to be endemic to the Mediterranean Sea but it has also been cited in the Canary Islands (Ortea et al. 2001). In the Iberian Peninsula it has only been cited in the Catalan coast (at Es Caials, Cadaqués, in the Medes Islands and in the trawling bottoms “Els Capets” between Pineda de Mar and Blanes), also in the Balearic Islands (Cervera et al. 2004).

Known georeferenced records of the species: Phyllidia flava
Sources:
: OBIS : GROC 2010-2011 : Enric Madrenas : João Pedro Silva : Bernard Picton : GBIF.ORG	: OPK : VIMAR : Manuel Ballesteros. : M@re Nostrum : Altres fonts : Marine Regions

Abundance

Western Mediterranean:
Eastern Mediterranean:
Atlantic Ocean:

More pictures

Phyllidia flava

Phyllidia flava with spawn @ Es Caials (Cadaqués) by Miquel Pontes

Phyllidia flava @ Cala Margarida 26m 11-06-2017 by Jordi Regàs

Bibliography

1246567 Phyllidia flava items 1 entomological-society-of-america author asc 1 https://opistobranquis.info/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/
Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.

Further reading

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