Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 159 , March 2018 , pp. 1-22 | Page 6

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Family: Onchidorididae
Genus: Diaphorodoris
Species: Diaphorodoris olakhalafi Khalaf, 2017
Description and Distinctive Features
Length of Diaphorodoris olakhalafi is between 5 - 9 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 (Khalaf, 2017).
This photo triggered the search for the new species: The Ola Khalaf‟s Nudibranch (Diaphorodoris
olakhalafi Khalaf, 2017) from the car cemetery ground in Khorfakkan Sea, in a depth of 19
meters. Photo by Ola Mostafa Khalaf. 31.03.2017. (Khalaf, 2017).
http://marine-life-uae.webs.com/diaphorodoris-olakhalafi &
http://nudibranch.webs.com/diaphorodoris-olakhalafi
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 159 – March 2018