Known from inshore reef areas in Ponape, Fiji, and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
5 m depth, Bare Islet, Cape Ferguson, Townsville, north Qld, 8 Aug. 1986, dorsal view of 38 mm specimen (Brunckhorst, 1993: Plate 6H). PHOTO: D. Brunckhorst.
Notes compiled from Brunckhorst, 1993:
Phyllidiella cooraburrama is a particularly striking nudibranch. It is distinguished by its extremely large, isolated, notal tubercles which have a very broad pink base, are steep sided, tall and multicompound with flattish (sometimes rounded) apices. P. cooraburrama is easily separated from its pink congeners by the form of its large tubercles. Phyllidiella pustulosa has grouped clusters of low tubercles. Phyllidiella annulata has rings of pink with low angular tubercles. Phyllidiella nigra has single rounded red-pink tubercles. Phyllidiella rosans has low, rounded, smooth, straight ridges. Phyllidiella zeylanica has highly tuberculate ridges which join together anteriorly and posteriorly. Phyllidiella granulata is superficially similar to P. cooraburrama, but differs in having smaller conical or acute white tubercles on a granular grey background.
• Brunckhorst, D.J. (1993) The systematics and phylogeny of Phyllidiid Nudibranchs (Doridoidea). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 16: 1-107.
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (July 12) Phyllidiella cooraburrama Brunckhorst, 1993. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/phylcoor
March 6, 2006
From: Marli Wakeling
Although I can never figure these out, I'll take a guess that this is Phyllidiella pustulosa.
Locality: Coral Gardens, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia. Depth: 35 feet. Length: 30 mm. 25 July 2005. Sand and rubble slope. Photographer: Marli Wakeling
firstname.lastname@example.orgWakeling, M., 2006 (Mar 6) Phyllidiella cooraburrama from Bali. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15193
P. pustulosa is always a good guess because it seems to be the most common and widespread of the genus. However I think in this case your animal is Phyllidiella cooraburrama. Often identifications are easier if we can see the underside of the animal so we can see the ventral colour and the shape of the oral tentacles. However one of the features distinguishing P. cooraburrama are the high multiple tubercles, pink basally and white-tipped, which are isolated from one another and sparsely scattered over the mantle as in your animal.
July 17, 2003
From: Mary Jane Adams
Here are a couple of candidates for Phyllidiella cooraburrama. They are both from from North Save a Tack Passage, Namena Island, Fiji.
The upper one was about 22mm long and about 18 meters deep. I photographed it on May 17, 2003. It seems to be enjoying a meal of orange sponge.
The lower one was about 24mm long and 21 meters deep. I shot it on May 18, 2003.
email@example.comAdams, M.J., 2003 (Jul 17) Phyllidiella cooraburrama from Fiji. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10280
Thanks Mary Jane,
I'm pretty sure these are Phyllidiella cooraburrama. As I said about your photo from Truk Lagoon, the combination of characters are fairly unique.
April 22, 2000
From: Mary Jane Adams
Can you identify this animal? I found it on a wreck at 5 meters in Truk Lagoon 14 January 1992. Estimated length = 40 mm.
Mary Jane Adams
Dear Mary Jane,
I think this is Phyllidiella cooraburrama. Your animal has very thin black lines but apart from that it has large compound tubercles which are pink at the base. You can clearly see the pink at the anterior end of the animal. As I have outlined at the top of the page there is no other species with this combination of characters.