Aeolid, Cerberilla affinis : Reunion island (Indian Ocean)

Cerberilla affinis Bergh, 1888

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

Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Dexiarchia
Superfamily : Aeolidioidea
Family : Aeolidiidae
Distribution : Tropical and temperate Indo West Pacific
Maximal size : 70 mm
Abundance : Seldom : on the reef flat zone

Species characteristics :

The oral tentacles and rhinophores are banded with yellow, grey-brown, white and navy-blue.
    The cerata with black and yellow rings are often very long and extremely numerous, arranged in transverse rows across the body.
    It has a black "mask" around the rhinophores.
   The color of the body and foot is white with the foot marginated in yellow

Showing species characteristics...

Photo Alain Barrére
Reunion, Saint Leu lagoon, less 1 m, 26 November 2007, size 10 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Bill Rudman
Synonymous (according worms) :
- No other name

Bibliographic data :

Cerberilla affinis was originally described from Indonesia.
    The dorsum is low and flattened in profile and the foot is exeptionally broad. The anterior foot corners are prominent, being enlarged into long sharply pointed tentacles
    The tail is short and the tip is pointed.
    The oral tentales are exeptionally large, tapering and the tip is pointed. The rhinophores which araised from a common base, are short slender and smooth.
    The cerata are circular, slender and smooth, and they taper rapidly to a pointed tip (fusiform). They are arranged in rows with the longest nearest to the midline. They are differently colored according to their position on the body; basically they are whitish with black and yellow rings near the center.
    It keeps all its cerata pointed backwards when it is crawling normally or burrowing, but when it disturbed the longest cerata are extended.
    Generally found on intertidal sand flats where it can rapidly burrow to escape potentiel predators and search for food. It is nocturnally active
    This aeolid feeds on cerianthid anemones which build tubes in soft sediment.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Cerberilla affinis
Nudipixel Cerberilla affinis

Publications :

Bergh, L.S.R. (1888). Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Aeolidiaden. IX. Verhandlungen der koniglich-kaiserlich Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien (Abhandlungen), 38 : 673-706, Pls. 16-20.

Other photos of Cerberilla affinis :

Hilary Jones

Maurice, Riviére Noire, less 1 m, 8 October 2017, size : 30 mm

A dark form of this species some author called this kind os specimen Chromodoris africana