Phyllidiella sp.

Papu, Adelfia, Bogdanov, AleXander, Bara, Robert, Kehraus, Stefan, König, Gabriele M., YonoW, Nathalie & Wägele, Heike, 2022, Phyllidiidae (Nudibranchia, Heterobranchia, Gastropoda): an integrative taxonomic approach including chemical analyses, Organisms Diversity & Evolution (New York, N. Y.) 22 (3), pp. 585-629 : 611

Phyllidiella sp. b

Eight specimens are characterised by a range of external appearances (Fig. 10.3a–d), and no single specific or distinguishing character permits an unproblematic identification. The notum of the animals possesses compound tubercles which are rather pointed. In general, the black lines form a reticulate pattern with vague X-shaped black lines in the middle of the tubercular groups on the central notum. The rhinophores are black with a white base, and low, pinkrimmed openings. Most specimens have a pink foot sole, but one specimen has a foot sole that is grey in the middle and pink on the sides (Phpu16Sa39, Fig. 10.3b). The oral tentacles are pink with dark grey apices and/or lateral grooves. Specimen Phpu16Sa25 (Fig. 10.3a) has dark pink oral tentacles. The clade is confirmed by a bootstrap value of 100.

Of the eight specimens in Phyllidiella sp. b, five were analysed with LCMS. Despite a high level of external diversity, the observed chemical profiles were very similar (see Fig. S9i), thus strengthening molecular results uniting these specimens. Many of the major peaks observed in UV-chromatograms could be attributed to sesquiterpene isonitriles and formamides. Additionally, a prominent peak with the retention time of 19.3 min that can be attributed to an oxygenated molecule with five degrees of unsaturation (molecular formula C 20 H 32 O calculated from m/z values 289.249 [M + H] + and 271.239 [M-H 2 O] +) was detected in all analysed Phyllidiella sp. b. This feature was also found in P. zeylanica auctt. and in one specimen of Phyllidiella sp. c subclade 2 (see below).