Pleurobranchus albiguttatus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Pleurobranchida
Family: Pleurobranchidae
Genus: Pleurobranchus
Species: Pleurobranchus albiguttatus

Pleurobranchus albiguttatus is an orange side-gill sea slug in the family Pleurobranchidae. The animal shown here is variety 2 in the book. Unlike dorid nudibranchs, side-gill slugs carry their gill along the right side beneath the mantle rather than in a plume on the back.

Pleurobranchus are carnivorous sea slugs, with feeding on sessile animals such as ascidians documented within the genus. That does not establish a particular prey species for the animal in these photographs.

For Philippine divers, comparing the mantle appearance and body outline with the book is more useful than using orange colour alone. Side-gill slugs can be mistaken for unrelated dorids at a glance.

Photograph the animal where it is. A low side view can show how the mantle covers the body, but never lift the mantle to expose the gill or move the slug for a clearer angle.

It appears on page 23 of Nudibranchs of the Philippines.

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