There’s not much information about the pustulose wart slug
This was one of the last photos that I took while on a two-dive trip off the coast of Oahu in Hawai’i. I was so excited to get to see two different species of nudibranchs within just a few minutes of one another. This pustulose wart slug was the smaller of the two, and I spotted it as it was navigating between some finger corals. It’s not a surprise that I saw this species of nudibranch during a dive in the Pacific, as it is one of the most common nudibranchs found there (if not the most common).
Despite being one of the most common nudibranchs in the Pacific, there’s not much information about the pustulose wart slug. It goes by a few other common names: pimpled phyllidiella and pustulose phyllidiella. Its scientific name is Phyllidiella pustulosa. It belongs to the Phyllidiidae family just like the varicose wart slug. It grows to be about two inches long, and once it is longer than 1.5 inches, the rhinophoral clavus can contain as many as 26 lamellae. They have black tipped oral tentacles. The “pimpled” name comes from the mounds of pink tubercles that dot its entire body. These are normally in clusters that overlay its dark purple to black body.
The intensity of the pink color of the tubercles can vary. Some believe that this is related to diet. It could also be due to the length of time since the last feeding. They can vary from pink to white, and they are also known to display as green.
There are fifteen known species in the Phyllidiella genus. These are characterized by nudibranch species with many tubercles spread across the dorsal side of their bodies. The Phyllidiella annulate has bright pink tubercles on its back. These clusters can be complete rings or U shapes. The Phyllidiella nigra is another species in this genus. It has pink tubercles as well, but they aren’t typically in clusters. They grow to be about 1 to 3 inches in length.
The intensity of the pink color of the tubercles of the pustulose wart slug can vary
Did you know?
- There are some species of nudibranch that live 8,200 feet below the sea.
- Some of the reason for the variety of appearances of nudibranchs is to mimic their food sources. This is why some nudibranchs look like sponges and/or soft corals.
- Nudibranchs are thought to be an example of aposematism, or the advertising of an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This is contested by some.
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