This species has been observed on Mauritius, Mayotte and Madagascar Islands
Order : Polycladida
Suborder : Cotylea
Superfamily : Pseudocerotoidea
Family : Pseudocerotidae
Distribution : India, Maldives, Mauritius, Mayotte and Madagascar
Maximal size : 40 mm
Abundance :
Species characteristics :
Body light brown to orange dorsally. Numerous black coloured equally spaced spots of variable sizes present all over body without touching the margin. These spots are surrounded by cream colour giving a halo appearance
Margin cream interrupted with light brown shades with a thin fluorescent yellow rim without any ruffles. |
|
| Showing species characteristics... |
Photo Eva Fontaine
Mayotte, musical plage, less 1 m, 19 October 2008, size : 30-35 mm
|
Remarks :
 Newman (2003), considered this species as an undescribed species (Pseudoceros sp 15)
Identification proposed by Alain Pierre Sittler and Vie Panyarachun
Synonymous : (according Sudhanshu Dixit, C. Raghunathan & Kailash Chandra. (2017))
- Pseudoceros sp 15 (Newman)
Bibliographic data :
Body large, smooth, light brown to orange dorsally and light orange ventrally.
Pseudotentacles small, formed by simple folds of the anterior margin with same colour pattern as that of margin with tentacular eyes present at the tips.
Cerebral eyespots cluster horseshoe shaped with 80–85 eyes
This flatworm of the genus Pseudoceros mimics the colour pattern of differents species of Chromodorids such as Chromodoris cavae, a chromodorid nudibranch which is commonly found in the Indian Ocean or Risbecia tryoni a commun seaslug from Pacific but not observed in our area...
Etymology : From the Latin niger (black), punctatus (spotted); for presence of black spots on the body.
References :
Publications :
Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (2003). Marine Flatworms: the world of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing : Melbourne 112 p
Sudhanshu Dixit, C. Raghunathan & Kailash Chandra. (2017) Two new marine flatworms (Polycladida: Pseudocerotidae) from Andman and Nicobar Islands, India. Zootaxa 4221 (1): 111-122
Other photos of Pseudoceros nigropunctatus :
Hugues Flodrops Mauritius, Ilot Tamarin at Flic and Flac, 12-15 m, 18 November 2006, size : 40 mm
Pseudotentacles (a) are simple folds
|
 |
 |
Alain-Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé, Olaf, 15 m, 2 May 2013, size : 40 mm
A specimlen with a very pale yellow marginal rim
|
More photos from Indian Ocean
|