Miamira miamirana ( Bergh, 1875 )

This species has been observed on Reunion, Mayotte and Madagascar Islands


Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Euctenidiacea
Superfamily : Doridoidea
Family : Chromodorididae
Distribution : Indo-West Pacific
Maximal size : 130 mm
Abundance : From time to time on the fore reef zone and on the reef flat zone


Species characteristics :

The mantle margin is covered by a number of irregular warts, smaller than those of the central ridge. These warts are clustered together and formed lateral ridges.

The mantle is creamish, greenish, or khaki brown, and the ridges are darker brown.

The mantle margin is wide, bearing numerous regularly spaced, permanent undulations and has a pale yellowish line.

Numerous small iridescent blue or lilac spots ringed with red are present between the ridges.

ceratosoma miamiranum
Showing species characteristics...

Photo Sophie Darnis
Reunion, "Pain de Sucre" at Boucan, 19 August 2006, size : 100-120 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods
   See more about : Spawning behavior, a blue-green spawn

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Hsini Lin and Nathalie Yonow
    Synonymous (according worms) :
          - Ceratosoma miamiranum, (Bergh, 1875)
          - Orodoris miamirana, Bergh, 1875

Bibliographic data :

Formerly better known as Orodoris miamirana Bergh, 1875 and Fracassa tuberculosa Eliot, 1904, this species has recently been placed by Valdés and Gosliner (1999) in the chromodorid genus Ceratosoma.
    The perfoliate rhinophores (22 lamellae) are thin and elongate with well-elevated sheaths. They are pale brownish with a yellow apex and a number of yellow dots over the lamellar area.
    The gill composed by 7 tripinnate pale brownish leaves with a yellow rachis on each branch form a complete circle around the anus. The anus opens on the end of a white tube which extends above the gills when they are extended.
    The underside of the mantle is bluish or greenish white and there is a reticulate pattern of green. Near the junction of the body and the mantle there is a ring of bright blue spots, each ringed with red.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Ceratosoma miamiranum

Publications :

Valdés, A. & Gosliner, T. (1999) Reassessment of the systematic status of Miamira Bergh, 1875 and Orodoris Bergh, 1875 (Nudibranchia; Chromodorididae) in light of phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 65 : 33-45.

Other photos of Miamira miamirana :

Philippe Bourjon

Réunion,La Saline, Mach 2018

 

This species secretes a white liquid from these mantle glands when it is stressed ...

 

 

 

Sophie Darnis

Mantle and mantle margin details

The mantle margin is wide, bearing numerous regularly spaced, permanent undulations and has a pale yellowish line.

Numerous small iridescent blue or lilac spots ringed with red are present between the ridges.

 

Gills detail

The gill composed by 7 tripinnate pale brownish leaves with a yellow rachis on each branch form a complete circle around the anus.

The anus opens on the end of a white tube which extends above the gills when they are extended.

Philibert Bidgrain

Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, less 1 m, 25 March 2011, size : 100 mm.

Tha anal papillae (a) and the gill composed by 7 tripinnate (b) pale brownish leaves with a yellow rachis on each branch

Philibert Bidgrain

Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, 14 January 2007, less 1 m, size 90 mm

A pale specimen with a light greenish coloration...

Eva Fontaine

Reunion, "l'hermitage lagoon" at Saint Gilles, 5 January 2008, less 1 m, size 100 mm

 

The underside of the mantle is greenish white and there is a reticulate pattern of green. Near the junction of the body and the mantle there is a ring of bright blue spots (a), each ringed with red.

Alain Benoît Rassat

Madagascar, Nosy Bé, l'arche, 27 m, 22 March 2015, size : 60 mm


  The mantle margin is wide, bearing numerous regularly spaced, permanent undulations and has a pale yellowish line.

 

 More photos from Indian Ocean

See more about : Spawning behavior, a blue-green spawn

Reunion, Miamira miamirana during the night, at Saint Leu, by François Beudard

Reunion, juvenile of Miamira miamirana on a sponge, by Bruno Manciet  

Mayotte, Miamira miamirana, at Petite terre, by Norbert Verneau