This species has been observed on Madagascar Island
Order : Polycladida
Suborder : Cotylea
Superfamily : Pseudocerotoidea
Family : Pseudocerotidae
Distribution : Indo West Pacific
Maximal size : 30 mm
Abundance :
Species characteristics :
Background body colour black with irregular cream, yellow or green irregular raised spots
Margin composed of smaller spots merging together
Pseudotentacles usually black but could be green or orange |
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Photo Alain-Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé, plateau des arches, 15 m, September 2012, size : 30 mm
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Bibliographic data :
 This is the only Pseudoceros species with raised bumps
Warning coloration displayed, known to imitate the common and notoriously toxic nudibranch Phyllidiella pustulosa or other Phyllidiella...
The phyllidiids exude very noxious and toxic chemicals from their skin and appear to be avoided by most fish. They are often the only sea slugs which blatantly crawl out in the open during the day. Other nudibranchs, flatworms, and even a holothurian are known to mimic phyllidiid nudibranchs.
Habitat :
Found on the reef slope under ledges
Ethymology : imitatus = imitation, for its resemblance to a toxic nudibranch
References :
Discover life : Pseudoceros imitatus
Marine flatworms of the world : Pseudoceros imitatus
Nudipixel : Pseudoceros imitatus
Publications :
Newman, L.J., Cannon, L.R.G. & Brunckhorst, D.J. (1994). A new polyclad flatwormwhich mimics a phyllidiid nudibranch. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society110: 19–25
Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (1998). Pseudoceros (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) from the Indo-Pacific with twelve new species from Australia and Papua New Guinea. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 46: 293–323
Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (2003). Marine Flatworms: the world of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing : Melbourne 112
Other photos of Pseudoceros imitatus :
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Alain Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé, plateau des arches, 15 m, August 2012, size : 15 mm
A specimen partially eaten....
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Alain Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé, December 2014
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More photos from Indian Ocean
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