Phyllidia (Fryeria) marindica (Yonow & Hayward, 1991)

Yonow, Nathalie, 2012, Opisthobranchs from the western Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species and ten new records (Mollusca, Gastropoda), ZooKeys 197, pp. 1-130 : 43

Phyllidia (Fryeria) marindica (Yonow & Hayward, 1991) Plate 60

Fryeria rueppelii ( Rüppell & Leuckart). - Edmunds 1972: 84, fig. 4A (Seychelles) (non Fryeria rueppelii Rüppell & Leuckart).

Reyfria marindica Yonow & Hayward, 1991: 23, figs. 10C, D, 13E (Mauritius).

Fryeria marindica . - Brunckhorst 1993: 45, pl. 5B, C (Christmas Island, La Réunion, SW Thailand, and Western Australia); Yonow 1994: 509, fig. 13, tab. 3 (Maldives); Yonow et al. 2002: 860, fig. 16a (Chagos); Yogesh Kumar et al. 2011: 109, fig. 2f (India).

Phyllidia marindica . - Apte 2009: 172, fig. 2u (Laccadive Islands).

Material.

Maldives: 35 mm in length (MDV/AB/96/20), 14 m depth, Banana Reef, North Malé Atoll, 10 May 1996, leg. RC Anderson & SG Buttress; photos of several individuals 30-40 mm, March 1999, J Hinterkircher. - La Réunion and Mauritius: numerous photographs of many individuals http://seaslugs.free.fr/nudibranche/a_intro.htm. - Tanzania: photographs of three individuals, Mafia Island, shallow water, March 2004 and May 2009, A de Villiers. - Seychelles: photo of one individual, Lilôt, NW Mahé, 1988-1989, P Kemp.

Description/Remarks.

The single specimen is not of the typical western Indian Ocean colour pattern, but more like the animals found in the eastern Indian Ocean and is therefore illustrated here. All other photos are of the typical colour form (as described by Yonow 1994), and range in size from 22 mm to 60 mm in length. The longitudinal pattern of black lines is lacking in this specimen and only transverse rays to the margin are present, connected to each other and crossing the dorsum. There are usually no tubercles on the black lines but if present, these are only small pustules. Ground colour granular blue-white, with more blue pigment present around margin; larger tubercles orange-yellow and arranged in three lines of partially contiguous tubercles along centre of dorsum; in the marginal area, row of single orange-yellow tubercles on each side followed by smaller ones.