A new flatworm (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) which mimics a Phyllidiid Nudibranch (Mollusca, Nudibranchia)

A new species of polyclad flatworm, Pseudoceros imitatus sp. nov. (Polycladida, Pseudocerotidae), is described from Papua New Guinea and recorded from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. This polyclad resembles the phyllidiid nudibranch Phyllidiella pustulosa (Cuvier) (Nudibranchia, Phyllidiiae) in s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inZoological journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 110; no. 1; pp. 19 - 25
Main Authors Newman, L.J., Cannon, L.R.G., Brunckhorst, D.J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Science Ltd 1994
Subjects
Pseudocerotidae - Pseudoceros - nudibranch - Phyllidiidae aposematic - mimicry
Pseudocerotidae - Pseudoceros - nudibranch - Phyllidiidae aposematic - mimicry
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:A new species of polyclad flatworm, Pseudoceros imitatus sp. nov. (Polycladida, Pseudocerotidae), is described from Papua New Guinea and recorded from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. This polyclad resembles the phyllidiid nudibranch Phyllidiella pustulosa (Cuvier) (Nudibranchia, Phyllidiiae) in size and colour pattern. It is proposed that P. imitatus is a mimic of the aposematic nudibranch in order to avoid predation by reef fish. Mimicry between polyclad flatworms and opisthobranch molluscs is reviewed.
ISSN:0024-4082
1096-3642
DOI:10.1006/zjls.1994.1002