Phyllidiopsis shireenae

Images taken at Lembeh, Indonesia

Phyllidiopsis shireenae is elongate in shape and possesses a relatively soft, but firm body. The dorsum is generally a very pale shade of pink (ranging to white in a few specimens). In lateral view, the body's visceral hump appears tall, forming a raised, longitudinal crest, which is triangular in cross section. This distinctive shape is not caused solely by the viscera, but is the result of a thickening or the mid-dorsal body wall which contains a mass of longitudinally orientated spicules (sectioned material). Encircling the perimeter of the visceral hump is a black band. In most specimens, four black lines diverge from the black band and run to the mantle edge. One black line occurs anteriorly and one at the posterior extremity. Two lines arise laterally, onc on either side of the dorsal crest. Minor variations of this pattern include a diverging black line which does not run right to the mantle edge, a black line running across the dorsal crest, or a few, small, irregularly shaped, black patches on the dorsal crest. A number of small, rounded tubercles occur on the mantle skirt. Larger tubercles with angular edges are sparsely scattered over the dorsal crest. The rhinophores are pale salmon pink and each clavus possesses 17-20 lamellae (specimens greater than 40 mm). The anus opens at the posterior end of the crest. Ventrally, the hyponoturn, foot and oral tentacles are white. The fused oral tentacles have a broad base and are short with broad, rounded tips. The gills are dark grey. There is a black band behind the gills where the notum meets the side of the foot.