About Phyllidiella zeylanica (Kelaart, 1858)
Phyllidiella zeylanica can be identified by its key characteristics: numerous, highly tuberculate pink ridges that curve to join at both the anterior and posterior ends, though these ridges may sometimes be interrupted. It also has a pale-colored foot sole and dark triangular oral tentacles. This species differs from related species in several ways. It is distinct from Phyllidiella pustulosa, which does not have these ridges at all. It also differs from Phyllidiella rosans, which has relatively smooth rounded ridges rather than the very tuberculate ridges seen in P. zeylanica. When comparing similarly sized specimens, the rhinophoral clavus of P. zeylanica has fewer lamellae than that of P. rosans. This species was first described from specimens collected in Sri Lanka. It has been reported across the entire tropical Indian Ocean, with a range extending from eastern Africa to Java.
