Phyllidia varicosa is a large phyllidiid, up to 12 cm in size. Here are
some characteristics to distinguish this species :
- the body is bluish with 3 longitudinal ridges of the same colour, separated
by 4 longitudinal black lines, and with transverse ridges and bands on the edge
- there are numerous yellow tubercles on these ridges and on the mantle's edge
- the rhinophores are yellow
- the sole of the foot is greyish blue with median black line
Phyllidia varicosa can
be mistaken for Phyllidia
coelestis and
Fryeria marindica.
They can be distinguished by the number of longitudinal black lines : P.
varicosa has 4 ones, P. coelestis has 3 ones and F. marindica
has only 2 lines.
Phyllidia varicosa could
also be mistaken for Fryeria
rueppelii and Fryeria
menindie. They can be distinguished by the anus position : it is on
the mantle in P. varicosa, while it is under the mantle in Fryeria.
Phyllidia varicosa is
very similar to Phyllidia
alyta. But P. alyta has whitish tubercles rather than bluish
ones. And yellow tubercles are many more numerous and vivid in P. varicosa.
Also, Phyllidia varicosa could
be mistaken for Phyllidia
elegans. They can be distinguished by the shape of their tubercles :
- P. varicosa has simple and uniform in size tubercles
- P. elegans has unequally sized tubercles and the largest ones are compound
(because they consist in an aggregate of tubercles)
African
Indian Ocean
