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

Order : Polycladida Suborder : Cotylea Superfamily : Pseudocerotoidea Family : Pseudocerotidae Distribution : Indo West Pacifique Maximal size : 50-70 mm Abundance : Species characteristics : Background body colour white, cream, yellowish or orange, grey-black near the margin Marginal band wide, white to cream Rim narrow, yellowish to bright yellow
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Christophe Cadet Reunion, (Pattern 3) Etang sale on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 13 October 2010, size : 20 mm

See more about : Pseudoceros jebborum and paralaticlavus variability in Southwest Indian ocean

Remarks :

Pseudoceros jebborum and P. paralaticlavus are identified from Reunion Island specimens by Leslie Newman (2003), but unfortunately only a photo of P. jebborum illustrated its publication... So we are sure that these two species are present in our area
   These two species have a very similar and variable pattern, so it is very difficult even impossible to separate only with photo these two species. Only a DNA analysis can help to differentiate between these two species : the nucleotide sequence ITS1 ( Internal Transcribed Spacer 1) in the ribosomal RNA gene cluster of P. paralaticlavus differs by 6% (24/421 positions) from that of P. jebborum. (Goggin and Newman, 1996)

In our area we can distinguish 5 different pattern of coloration.... and 2 species...

Bibliographic data :

Leslie Newman description of these two species :

Pseudoceros jebborum	Pseudoceros paralaticlavus
Ethymology :         - after Dr Jebb and the Jebb family	Ethymology :         -para=like, lati=broad, clavus=stripe; similar to P. laticlavus
Description :         - Background body colour cream-orange, grey-black near margin.         - Marginal band wide, cream.         - Rim yellow.         - Size : 70 mm	Description :         - Background colour black with a wide cream-white median stripe.         - Marginal band wide, white.         - Rim narrow, bright yellow.         - Size : 50 mm
Habitat :         - Found on the reef slope under rubble	Habitat :         - Found on the reef crest under rubble, feeding on yellow colonial ascidians
Distribution :         - Indo West Pacifique including Reunion Island	Distribution :         - Indo West Pacifique including Reunion Island and South Africa

Others pattern variations described in differents publications.
             - Presence of a narrow median white stripe on the median longitudinal white-cream band.
             - Sometimes the folds of the pharynx show a dark purple color.
   The same color pattern is present on the ventral side but sometimes the folds of the pharynx show a dark purple color.
   Pseudotentacles formed by simple folds of the margin with few pseudotentacular eyes. A small cerebral cluster contents about 30-60 eye spots
   In mature specimens the oviducts and ovaries are red-purple

References :

Discover life : Pseudoceros jebborum and Pseudoceros paralaticlacus
   Nudipixel : Pseudoceros paralaticlavus

Publications :

Goggin, C.L. and Newman, L.J. (1996). Use of molecular data to discriminate pseudocerotid turbellarians. Journal of Helminthology. Cambridge University Press 70:123-126
    Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (1994). Biodiversity of Australian polyclad flatworms. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 36: 159–163
    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 jebborum and paralaticlavus :

Pattern 1     - Background colour black (a) with a wide         pinkish median stripe (b).        - Marginal band wide, white (c).        - Rim yellow (d). Philibert Bidgrain Reunion, Grand fond Lagoon, Saint Gilles, less 1 m, 26 March 2010, size : 25 mm

Olivier Police Mayotte, "Platier des badamiers", Petite Terre, less 1 m, 31 December 2009. The same patern with a fade pinkish coloration

Pattern 2     - Background colour black (a) with a wide         cream-white (b) median stripe.        - Marginal band wide, cream (c).        - Rim, very narrow, yellowish (d). Marina Poddubetskaia Reunion, "Banc de sable", Saint Leu, 16 m, 9 October 2002, size : 70 mm Leslie Newman considered this specimen as a form of Pseudoceros jebborum in its CDrom. Marine Flatworms: the world of Polyclads (2003)

Underside view : The same color pattern is present on the ventral side but sometimes the folds of the pharynx (a) show a dark purple color.

Pattern 3     - Background colour black (a) with a wide         cream and yellowish median stripe (b).        - Marginal band wide, white (c).        - Rim bright yellow (d). Philibert Bidgrain Reunion, Grand fond Lagoon, Saint Gilles, less 1 m, 26 October 2010, size : 25 mm

Philibert Bidgrain Reunion, Trou d'eau, less 1 m, 15 March 2010, size : 10-12 mm A small specimen...

Jean-Marie Gradot Mauritius, Blue bay, less 1 m, 15 January 2016, size : 40 mm

Pattern 4     - Background colour black (a) with a wide            white median stripe (b).        - Marginal band wide, white (c).        - Rim bright yellow (d). Matthias Deuss Mayotte, 31 December 2009.

Christophe Cadet Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, less 1 m, 29 October 2010, size : 15 mm

Pattern 5     - Background colour black (a) with a wide         white median stripe (b).        - Marginal band wide, white (c).        - Rim yellowish (d). Philibert Bidgrain Reunion, 1 February 2005

See more about : Pseudoceros jebborum and paralaticlavus variability in Southwest Indian ocean

Madagascar, Pseudoceros jebborum/paralaticlavus type 4, at Nosy bé, by Nathalie Bazard