Phallusia arabica Savigny 1816

(Figure 19)

Phallusia arabica Savigny, 1816: 164. Kott 1985: 61 Fig. 24a–d, pl. 1e, without synonymy. Monniot C. 1997: 570 Fig. 4C–E. Monniot F. & Monniot C. 1996: 233 Fig. 46, pl. 8A.

Material. Coll. N.J. Pilcher et al., Viet Nam, Con Dao Isl., Con Son Isl., Tau Be, 08°41.69’N – 106°39.62’E, 18m, 0PHG 1688-S (MNHN P5 PHA 122).

The body is white with a cartilaginous smooth tunic. Numerous oral tentacles in 4 orders of size are inserted on a low crest. The peritubercular area is spotted with small papillae. The dorsal lamina is doubled along 1/3 of its total length and more posteriorly its rim is toothed. The branchial papillae are long, there are no intermediate papillae and no parastigmatic vessels. Many openings of the neural gland can be found on the dorsal line between the siphons (Fig. 19).

The gut of one specimen was filled with a large amount of small bivalves, all of the same size.

Phallusia Arabica always lives deeply sunk into the substrate. It is widely distributed in the Pacific and Indian oceans.