Aldisa zavorensis Tibiriça, Pola & Cervera, 2017

Version française...

This species has been observed on Reunion Island


Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Euctenidiacea
Superfamily : Doridoidea
Family : Cadlinidae
Distribution : Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Reunion Island
Maximal size : 20 mm
Abundance : Seldom if ever : on the fore reef zone

Species characteristics :

Red body with numerous small rounded tubercules and two large crater like pits.

Fine white spots on the notum and the gills.

There is a yellow marginal band on the foot

Aldisa sp 1
Showing species characteristics...

Photo David Caron
Reunion, "Cap la houssaye" SaintPaul, 4 m, size : 20 mm.

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow (Seaslugs of the Red Sea, p 155)
    This specimen look like to A. pikokai, a species known from Hawaii and Marshall Ids, Aldisa sp 6 in NSSI, Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification, Indo-Pacific, Gosliner, Valdés & Behrens, 2015 and et à Aldisa sp 1 du livre de Yonow (2008)
and Aldisa sp 1 from Yonow (2008)

Bibliographic data :

Species of Aldisa tend to be very good at camouflaging themselves to look like sponges. They often have two or three marks or pits in the midline to mimic the exhalant pores (oscules) of the sponge colonies. This animal has certainly developed the imitation pores to a greater degree than we can recall in any other species.
    This specimen looks like Aldisa fragaria , but in Aldisa fragaria there are brown to black tubercules surrounded by a lighter ring

References :

   Nudipixel Aldisa sp

Publications :

Tibiriçá Y., Pola M. & Cervera J.L. (2019 [Code availability 2017]). Two new species of the genus Aldisa Bergh, 1878 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia) from southern Mozambique. Marine Biodiversity. 49: 43-56.

Other photos of Aldisa zavorensis :


If you have taken a photo of this species in Reunion Island, please Contact us...