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Phyllidia elegans decorates reefs
Phyllidia elegans is a dorid nudibranch found occasionally on Gorontalo’s coral reefs. Oftentimes, divers see it among rubble. We call it the Elegant wart slug.
The Showy Peaks of Phyllidia elegans
This elegant wart slug has distinctive whitish to pinkish protrusions. These are called tubercles. They look like snowy mountain peaks. A few tops of those tubercles are yellow. This is a distinguishing characteristic of Phyllidia elegans.
Irregular black lines look like rivers running in the valleys between peaks. Some blackish spots can appear along the slug’s edges. Also, for this elegant wart slug, yellow rhinophores are distinctive.
Although divers rarely look at the underside of the slug’s foot, Phyllidia elegans has a median longitudinal black line on its sole. Uniquely, this slug also has black lines on the sides of its foot.
Rare photographs of the Elegant wart slug
The archived website of Sea Slug Forum has several unique photographs of Phyllidia elegans. One shows the gills, which are underneath this critter, between its foot and mantle. Another photo shows the Elegant wart slug laying eggs. The moderator notes this may be the first photo of the egg mass. Moreover, one of the photos is from Gorontalo, taken and submitted by one of our diving guests.
Unknown Life Cycle
Scientists know little about the life cycle of Phyllidia elegans. It is a simultaneous hermaphrodite. That means a single individual is both male and female at the same time. When two of these wart slugs come together for mating, each with stab its penis at the other. The first one to penetrate the other’s skin will be the male for that coupling.
Most phyllidiid nudibranchs, like the Elegant wart slug, feed on sponges of the Phakellia genus. These are usually red-orange in color.
Phyllidia elegans lives in the Western Pacific and Indian oceans, as well as in the Red Sea. Its maximum length is about five centimeters. Divers are more likely to spot it in shallow waters where hard coral growth is poor. For your chance to see this elegant marine critter in Gorontalo, please make your dive reservations directly with Miguel’s Diving.
