Facelinid sp. 5

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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

facelinisd sp. 5
Showing species characteristics...

Photo Monica Bachel
Reunion, Le Barachois, 15 m, 10 February 2013, size : 15 mm

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 :

 

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

 

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

 

Body entirely pale translucent orange.

 

References :

Nudipixel Phidiana sp

Other photos of Facelinid sp. 5 :


Barbara Bini

Madagascar, Nosy bé, 16 m, size : 5 mm

 


Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, less 1 m, 12 February 2017, size : 15 mm

Alexandre laporte

 


Kévin Bourdon

Reunion, Cap La Houssaye, 16 m, 29 June 2013, size : 3-4 mm

 


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


 More photos from Indian Ocean