Callioplana marginata     Stimpson, 1857

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This species has been observed on Reunion, Mayotte and Madagascar Islands


Order : Polycladida
Suborder : Acotylea
Superfamily : Stylochoidea
Family : Callioplanidae
Distribution : Indo west Pacifique
Maximal size : 80 mm
Abundance :


Species characteristics :

Background body colour brown, grey or black

Marginal bands wide, inner band orange, outer band white

Two prominent non-retractile head tentacle conspicious, orange with white

callioplana marginata
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Photo Philibert Bidgrain
Reunion, Etang salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 24 March 2010, size : 25 mm

Remarks :

In some specimens, there is a orange marginal band on the ventral surface

Bibliographic data :

Colour pattern variable, for exemple, some specimens have a bicolor body coloration, grey with black only around the margin and on the median area
   Habitat : Found under rubble and rocks on inshore reef crests
   Ethymology : marginata = border refers to the distinctive marginal band

References :

Discover life : Callioplana marginata
   Marine flatworms of the world : Callioplana marginata
   Nudipixel : Callioplana marginata

Publications :

Faubel, A. (1983). The Polycladida, Turbellaria. Proposal and establishment of a new system. Part I. The Acotylea . Mitteilungen aus dem Hamburgischen zoologischen Museum und Institut 80: 17–121
    Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (2003). Marine Flatworms: the world of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing : Melbourne 112
    Stimpson, W. (1857). Prodromus descriptionis animalium evertebratorum quae in expeditione ad oceanum, pacificum septentrionalem a Republic Federata missa, Johanne Rogers Duce observavit et descripsit. Pars. I. Turbellaria Dendrocoela . Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 9: 19–31

Other photos of Callioplana marginata :


 

 

Philibert Bidgrain

Reunion, Etang salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 27 November 2006, size : 15 mm

In this specimen there isn't a orange marginal band on the ventral surface


Eva Fontaine

Mayotte, mtsanga Sakouli, less 1 m, 18 October 2008

In this specimen there is :
        - a brown body colour with a clear median stripe (b).
         - a orange marginal band (a) on the ventral surface


Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Trou d'eau lagoon, less 1 m, 27 September 2010, size : 8 mm

In this small specimen the head tentacle tips are white (a)

and the white marginal fringe virtually absent ( b)

 


Philibert Bidgrain

Reunion, Trou d'eau, less 1 m, 19 January 2010, size : 30 mm
     - NO white pigment (a) on the head tentacles
     - NO orange (b) on the ventral surface


Alain-Benoît Rassat

Madagascar, Sakatia, Nosy bé, 17 m, 7 Jully 2014, size : 30 mm

 

In this specimen the head tentacle tips are white

 


 More photos from Indian Ocean

Reunion, Callioplana marginata with white head tentacle tips, at Trou d'eau, by Philibert Bidgrain