This species has been observed on Réunion and Madagascar Islands
Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Dexiarchia
Superfamily : Aeolidioidea
Family : Facelinidae
Distribution :
Throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific
Maximal size : 15 mm
Abundance : Seldom if ever on the fore reef zone and the lagoon
Species characteristics :
Body orange to reddish with a line of opaque white patches on the medial portion of the notum
Rhinophores translucent white with 2-3 oblique annulae
Ceratal base with dark brown to black pigment and blue and pale yellow to white subapical bands |
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Showing species characteristics... |
Photo Monica Bachel
Reunion, Le Barachois, 15 m, 10 February 2013, size : 15 mm
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See more about : Sightening and mating periods
Remarks :
Identification proposed by Nathalie Yonow, Richard Willan and Marina
Poddubetskaia
According Richard Willan " I first encountered this aeolid in the photo from La Reunion in Fiji in 1987. As you have noticed, its rhinophores are completely different to those of Phidiana indica . [I use the genus Phidiana for indica et al. following Miller's papers]. The one with the plates on the rhinophores in your photo is undescribed."
Some specialist like Rudman, Willan, Debelius use the genus Phidiana for indica following Miller's papers, other like Gosliner use the genus Caloria
Bibliographic data :
This species looks like Caloria indica and Caloria sp. 2 :
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Caloria indica |
Facelinid sp. 5 |
Caloria sp. 2 |
Rhinophores structure |
Smooth and slender rhinophores |
Rhinophores translucent white with 2-3 oblique annulae |
Smooth and slender rhinophores |
Body coloration pattern
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The translucent to translucent-orange body has a median longitudinal white line which branchs between the rhinophores, running to the oral tentacles of the orange head |
Body orange to reddish with a line of opaque white patches on the medial portion of the notum
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Body entirely pale translucent orange.
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References :
Nudipixel Phidiana sp
Other photos of Facelinid sp. 5 :
Barbara Bini
Madagascar, Nosy bé, 16 m, size : 5 mm
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Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, less 1 m, 12 February 2017, size : 15 mm |
Alexandre laporte
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Kévin Bourdon
Reunion, Cap La Houssaye, 16 m, 29 June 2013, size : 3-4 mm
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Sully Bachel
Reunion, Les Avirons, 17 m, 28 November 2010, size : 15 mm
Rhinophores translucent white with 2-3 oblique annulae |
Philibert Bidgrain
Reunion, Saint Pierre lagoon, less 1 m, 28 February 2010, size : 10-12 mm
Body orange to reddish with a line of opaque white patches on the medial portion of the notum |
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More photos from Indian Ocean
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