Phyllodesmium pinnatum
February 19, 2017
Phyllodesmium magnum
February 19, 2017
Order : NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder : DEXIARCHIA
Infraorder : CLADOBRANCHIA
Parvorder : AEOLIDIDA
Superfamily : AEOLIDIOIDEA
Family : Facelinidae
DISTRIBUTION
New Caledonia, eastern Australia, Western Australia. Okinawa.
Record here from the Lembeh Strait – Sulawesi – Indonesia
This is one of the species of Phyllodesmium that does not harbour zooxanthellae in its tissues. The colour of the digestive glands ducts in the cerata is a deep pink. It has been found feeding on the telestacean soft coral Carijoa. Note the branching in the digestive gland ducts, a common feature in species of the genus.