Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 149, May 2017, pp. 31-47 | Page 3

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Description and Distinctive Features
Length of Diaphorodoris olakhalafi is about 5 mm. General body-colour is white. Body
elongate-elliptical, bluntly rounded at both ends. The white mantle is ovate with the
posterior end of the foot extending behind the end of the mantle. Foot produced behind
in a fairly long tail, the anterior end abruptly rounded and simply labiate. The mantle is
covered sparsely with small conical tubercles and the five or six gills are attached in a
common pocket. The colour of the conical tubercles is white or yellow. Oral tentacles
broad lobiform, with a slit-like mouth between them. The gills and rhinophores are
orange-red. Rhinophore-sheath with smooth margin. Branchial plumes 5 - 6, small,
simply pinnate, completely retractile within a cavity with smooth margin. Integument
with spicules. There is a distinctive yellow band at the edge of both the mantle and the
foot.
Size
Diaphorodoris olakhalafi grows to about 5 mm long.
The new species: Ola Khalaf‟s Nudibranch (Diaphorodoris olakhalafi Khalaf, 2017) from the car
cemetery ground in Khorfakkan Sea, in a depth of 15 meter, and water temperature of 23
Celsius. Nudibranch size 5 mm. Photo by Gordon T. Smith (Searcaigh). 18 February 2012.
http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=963
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 149 – May 2017