31 photos - 16 species


Phyllidia alyta Yonow, 1996

Warty sea slug

Maximum length: 50 mm

Gray-white body with white tubercles, yellow tips

and four straight black lines running across the “back”.

Photo 1 Astrid: Moalboal Philippines


Phyllidia coelestis Bergh, 1905

Sky blue phyllidia

Maximum length: 50 mm

Body white to gray, with black lines and pustules between the tubercles,

which are the same color as the body, with some having yellow tips.

The mantle margin may be yellow.

The rhinophores are white with yellow.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidia elegans Bergh, 1869

Elegant phyllidia

Maximum length: 80 mm

Gray to pinkish-grey body with thin black lines running between the tubercles.

The tubercles themselves are white, some to many have yellow tips.

The rhinophores are yellow on white stalks.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi


Phyllidia exquisita Brunckhorst, 1993

Warty sea slug

Maximum length: 23 mm

Bluish appearance.

Widely spaced arrangement of opaque dots and wavy black swirls on the sides.

Yellow stripe on the mantle edge.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi


Phyllidia multifaria Yonow, 1986

Warty slug

Maximum length: 50 mm

Pinkish white with large tubercles surrounded by black,

few tubercles have yellow tips, black lines extend to the edge of the mantle.

Their rhinophores are yellow.

Photo 1 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt


Phyllidia ocellata Cuvier, 1804

Ocellated phyllidia

Maximum length: 70 mm

This species is extremely variable,

the body can be intensely yellow with white or gray tubercles.

Some large black rings on sides, or black in large parts of the mantle,

yellow tubercles and black markings below, usually emphasized by a white margin,

or sometimes only black or yellow with yellow or white tubercles.

Their rhinophores are always yellow to orange.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photos 2 - 3 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidia picta Pruvot-Fol, 1957

Black-rayed phyllidia or Painted phyllidia

Maximum length: 60 mm

The mantle is mostly black and surrounds each individual wart, which have yellow caps.

The rhinophores are yellow.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidia rueppelii Bergh, 1869

Ruppel's warty slug

Maximum length: 40 mm

Also easy to identify as it usually does not have as many orange tubercles

and the lighter bases are less likely to merge into bands.

Feeds on sponges.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Photo 3 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt


Phyllidia varicosa Lamarck, 1801

Swollen phyllidia, Varicose wart slug or Varicose phyllidia

Maximum length: 70 mm

Yellow warts and black longitudinal stripes.

All warty snails are very good chemical defenders.

They release a stinging venom at the slightest annoyance.

There are no known predators of this species.

Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photo 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt

Photo 3 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt


Phyllidiella lizae Brunckhorst, 1993

Liz's phyllidiella

Maximum length: 40 mm

Gray body with pinkish-white tubercles with white tips

and long black lines along the sides of the mantle,

which begin before the black rhinophores.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidiella nigra Van Hasselt, 1824

Black phyllidiella

Maximum length: 75 mm

Black body with relatively large,

single or sparsely spaced pinkish-white tubercles distributed on the mantle.

Black rhinophores.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi

Photos 2 - 4 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidiella pustulosa Cuvier, 1804

Pimpled phyllidiella or Pustulose wart slug

Maximum length: 75 mm

Flat parts between the tubercles are filled with black.

Black rhinophores.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidiopsis annae Brunckhorst, 1993

Anne's phyllidiopsis

Maximum length: 25 mm

Light blue body with black stripes and black spots along the edge of the mantle.

Black rhinophores.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidiopsis phiphiensis Brunckhorst, 1993

Phyllidiopsis phiphiensis

Maximum length: 30 mm

White mantle with black longitudinal lines and black spots above the mantle margin.

Yellowish rhinophores.

Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidiopsis shireenae Brunckhorst, 1989

Shireen's Phyllidiopsis

Maximum length: 100 mm

Gray to pink, or bluish blue body, with a high central crest with black lines along the flanks,

some of which cross along the back, while others extend to the edge of the mantle.

The rhinophores are pink or yellowish with dark backs.

Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi


Phyllidiella striata Bergh, 1889

Striped phyllidiopsis

Maximum length: 45 mm

White to gray body with black lines.

White rhinophores.

Photo 1 Astrid: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi