|
Click the thumbnail photos to enhance!
Gosliner, Terrence M. & Fahey, Shireen J., 2011, Previously undocumented diversity and abundance of cryptic species: a phylogenetic analysis of Indo-Pacific Arminidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) with descriptions of 20 new species of Dermatobranchus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2011 February; 161(2): 245–356. This text is completely online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3073124/ Dermatobranchus fasciatus can be distinguished from other arminaceans by two transverse brownish bands/patches and many small black/brown spots on the pale tan mantle. Let me quote Gosliner & Fahey (2011): "The bands of dark colour divide the dorsum into approximate thirds. The dorsal ridges are the same white as the ground colour and the depressions between the ridges are grey. The rhinophore stalk is white with some random dark spots and the club is dark brown to black with opaque white spots. The oral veil is opaque white with dark spots and a pink margin." It feeds on soft-corals. Dermatobranchus fasciatus is Dermatobranchus sp. 6 in IPN at page 310: Gosliner, T.M, D.W. Behrens & Á.Valdés. 2008. Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs. Sea Challengers Natural History Books. Gig Harbor, Washington. 426pp. It was originally posted at these websites as Dermatobranchus sp. C Genus: van Hasselt, 1824, then changed into Dermatobranchus sp. 03 Genus: van Hasselt, 1824. Pretty similar are: Dermatobranchus semilunus, which differs by the U-shaped brownish patch at the anterior third of the notum, and Dermatobranchus tuberculatus, which lacks the prominent longitudinal ridges, and differs by rounded tubercles on the dorsal surface. |
