This species has been observed on Reunion, Mauritius, Mayotte and Madagascar Islands
Order : Polycladida
Suborder : Cotylea
Superfamily : Pseudocerotoidea
Family : Pseudocerotidae
Distribution : Indo West Pacific
Maximal size : 30 mm
Abundance :
Species characteristics :
Background body colour white with velvet purple to black transverse irregular black bands or patches
The white stripe pattern is composed of a longitudinal central stripe with several transverse stipes reaching the edge
Marginal band wide, yellow, may be interrupted by white stripes |
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Showing species characteristics... |
Photo Marina Poddubetskaia
Mauritius, "Gaetan Patchers", Pereybère, 16m, 17 October 2002, size : 25-30 mm
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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"
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 simple folds
Ventral surface rose coloured
Habitat : Found on the reef slope under rubble
Etymology : Zebra = zebra; for the striped pattern
References :
Discover life : Pseudoceros zebra
Publications :
Gosliner, T.M., Behrens, D.W. & Williams, G.C. (1996). Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific . Sea Challengers : Monterey 314 pp.
Leuckart, F.S. (1828). Atlas zu der Reise im nordlichen Afrika. Neue wirbellose Thiere des rothen Meers. Rüppell, Ed. & Leuckart, F.S. Brönner, Frankfurt a. M. pp. 11 & 15
Newman, L.J. & Cannon, L.R.G. (2003). Marine Flatworms: the world of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing : Melbourne 112
Other photos of Pseudoceros zebra :
Alain-Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé, 16 m, 4 May 2013, size : 10-12 mm
A small specimen with a strange "cross pattern"...
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Philibert Bidgrain
Mayotte, mtsanga mtiti Sada, less 1 m, 18 Jully 2010, size : 12-15 mm
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Alain Diringer
Reunion, Cap la Houssaye, 17 September 2008
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Philibert Bidgrain
Mayotte, mtsanga Tanaraki, less 1 m, 26 Jully 2008, size : 15 mm
Pseudoceros zebra.... or Pseudoceros scintillatus
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More photos from Indian Ocean
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