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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 semilunus is characterized by a U-shaped brownish patch at the anterior third of the notum. The specific name semilunus is from the combined Latin words meaning half-moon, in reference to the dark, semi-lunar shaped marking on the anterior third of the dorsum of this species. Let me quote Gosliner & Fahey, 2011: "The ground colour of the dorsum, the oral veil, and the foot is opaque white. The depressions between the dorsal ridges are light grey with dark dots. There is a single dark U-shaped band of pigment at the anterior third of the notum. Along the mantle edge are evenly spaced, dark ocellated spots of pigment. The posterior edge of the mantle has a yellowish or tan hue. The rhinophore stalk is white and the club is dark. The oral veil is opaque white with some dark irregular spots." It is Dermatobranchus sp. 7 in IPN at page 311: Gosliner, Terrence M., David W. Behrens & Ángel Valdés. 2008. Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs. Sea Challengers Natural History Books. Gig Harbor, Washington. 426 pp. Pretty similar are: Dermatobranchus fasciatus, which differs by two transverse brownish bands/patches, and Dermatobranchus tuberculatus, which lacks the prominent longitudinal ridges, and differs by rounded tubercles on the dorsal surface. |
