Red Sea Phyllidiidae (Mollusca, Nudibranchia), with descriptions of new species

Abstract

All the known Red Sea nudibranchs of the family Phyllidiidae are described and their taxonomic positions discussed. The genus Fryeria Gray, 1853, is regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Phyllidia Cuvier, 1797, and Reyfria gen. nov. is introduced to describe those species differing from Phyllidia primarily in the position of the anus. Of 12 species described here from the Red Sea, four are new to science. Phyllidia arabica Ehrenberg, 1831, is distinguished from Phyllidia varicosa Lamarck, 1801, and Phyllidia sp. is described as the third species confused with this group. A subspecies of P. ocellata Cuvier, 1804, is described and illustrated, as are three new species: P. melanocera, P. monacha and P. multifaria.

Red Sea Opisthobranchia 6: Phyllidiidae and their paradorid mimic: new species and new records (Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia, Doridina)

“…This work describes three species of Phyllidiidae and the mimic belonging to the genus Paradoris Bergh, 1884 (family Discodorididae) from the Red Sea that were not included in the previous taxonomic publications (Yonow 1986(Yonow , 1988(Yonow , 1996. Species are illustrated with colour images of living specimens, and the literature relating to the species in question is included in the synonymies, focusing on the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the wider north-western Indian Ocean if relevant.…”

“…These identities are discussed herein and a check-list of the species belonging to the family Phyllidiidae recorded from the Red Sea to date is included. Additionally, Appendix 1 lists the remaining specimens in the author's collections that refer to species previously described in this series, each with a brief diagnosis, remarks where relevant, and colour plates of the living animals of two species that were not available when they were originally described, Phyllidiopsis monacha (Yonow, 1986) and Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis (Yonow, 1988). Appendix 2 lists 25 specimens of the family Phyllidiidae recently collected from the Farasan Banks (see Map 1) which comprises only three of the most common species in the Red Sea, Phyllidia multifaria Yonow, 1986, Phyllidia varicosa Lamarck, 1801, and Phyllidiella 'pustulosa' (Cuvier, 1804).…”

Figure 1 from: Yonow N (2020) Red Sea Opisthobranchia 6: Phyllidiidae and their paradorid mimic: new species and new records (Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia, Doridina). ZooKeys 1006: 1-34. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1006.59732

“…Check-list of Phyllidiidae recorded from the Red Sea, with distribution range Phyllidia (Fryeria) rueppelii (Bergh, 1869) Red Sea, Gulf of Oman Phyllidia multifaria Yonow, 1986 Endemic Phyllidia schupporum Fahrner & Schrödl, 2000 Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman Phyllidia sp. [Eliot 1908 as varicosa] ??…”

“…[Eliot 1908 as varicosa] ?? Phyllidia undula Yonow, 1986 Red Sea, East Africa Phyllidia varicosa Lamarck, 1801…”

“…Indo-West Pacific Phyllidiopsis dautzenbergi (Vayssière, 1912) Endemic Phyllidiopsis monacha (Yonow, 1986) Endemic Phyllidiopsis sinaiensis (Yonow, 1986) Endemic (including Gulf of Tadjourah) Phyllidiopsis sp. 1 Endemic (presumed) Phyllidiopsis sp.…”