Pseudoceros scintillatus Newman and Cannon, 1994

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This species has been observed on Mayotte Island


Order : Polycladida
Suborder : Cotylea
Superfamily : Pseudocerotoidea
Family : Pseudocerotidae
Distribution : Indo Pacific
Maximal size : 60 mm
Abundance :


Species characteristics :

Body with a velvety black background. Large irregular size and form yellow-green spot bordered by white, distributed over the dorsal surface and extending to the margin.

Presence of a distinct wide orange marginal band.

 

Pseudoceros scintillatus
Showing species characteristics...

Photo Philibert Bidgrain
Mayotte, Mtsanga Fanou, 2 m, 20 July 2008, size : 60 mm

See more about : Pseudoceros scintillatus variability in Southwest Indian ocean

Remarks :

Leslie Newman think there's a real confusion between Pseudoceros zebra, P. scintillatus and P. imperatus. It is possible that they all form a single species. DNA studies needed to determine relationship between these " three species"
   According Marian Litvaitis : Pseudoceros scintillatus may be a junior synonym of Peasia maculata. Pease, (1860) described the coloration of this species as “Colour above yellowish-fawn or greenish-slate, orange towards the margins, and covered with circular greenish-slate spots, encircled with white rings.”
   For these three species, I separated the classic coloration pattern (according Newman, 2003) from ambiguous and unclassiable pattern, and I pull these under the name Pseudoceros scintillatus colour group

Bibliographic data :

Pseudotentacles formed by simple folds of the anterior margin with some pseudotentacular eyes and a round cluster of cerebral eyes.
   Habitat : Found on the reef crest under rubble, feeding on colonial ascidians
   Etymology : Scintillatus : scintillating, for its dramatic colour pattern

References :

Discover life : Pseudoceros scintillatus
   Nudipixel : Pseudoceros scintillatus
   Polycladia : Pseudoceros scintillatus

Publications :

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. (1994). Pseudoceros and Pseudobiceros (Polycladida, Pseudocerotidae) from Eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 37: 205–266
    Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (2003). Marine Flatworms: the world of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing : Melbourne 112

Other photos of Pseudoceros scintillatus :


 

 

Matthias Deuss

Mayotte, 30 December 2009

The white border (a) of the spot is clearly visible on this specimen...

 

 

 


 

 

Eva Fontaine

Mayotte, Mbouanatsa, less 1 m, 29 Jully 2010, size : 20 mm

Pseudotentacles formed by simple folds of the anterior margin with some pseudotentacular eyes and a round cluster of cerebral eyes (a).

 

 


 

 

Philibert Bidgrain

Mayotte, Mtsanga Guini, less 1 m, 7 August 2010, size : 15 mm

 

 


 

Philibert Bidgrain

Mayotte, Mtsanga mtiti Sada, less 1 m, 15 Jully 2010, size : 18-20 mm

Specimen with a very important proportion of white markings...


Philibert Bidgrain

Mayotte, Mtsanga Tanaraki, less 1 m, 26 Jully 2008, size : 15 mm

 

Pseudoceros zebra.... or Pseudoceros scintillatus

 


 More photos from Indian Ocean