Marine Life / Nudibranchs

Discodoris boholiensis

kingdom

Animalia

phylum

Mollusca

class

Gastropoda

order

Nudibranchia

family

Discodorididae

genus

Discodoris

species

Discodoris boholiensis

Discodoris boholiensis is a dorid nudibranch in the family Discodorididae. The animal shown here has a maroon body with a frilly, white-marked mantle edge. Examine the mantle outline, rhinophores and rear gills together when comparing it with similar dorids.

Discodoridids include many sponge feeders, but a precise food species is not established for this photographed individual. A slug crawling over a reef surface may be moving rather than feeding, so nearby organisms should not automatically be labelled as prey.

For divers in the Philippines, the book provides a useful identification reference. A full-body photograph showing the white markings around the margin is more informative than a close crop of the maroon back alone.

Try a slightly raised angle that includes the frilled edge without hiding the head. Use controlled lighting, stay clear of the seabed, and leave the animal exactly where you found it.

It appears on page 68 of Nudibranchs of the Philippines.

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