This species has been observed on Madagascar Island
Order :
Cephalaspidea
Superfamily : Philinoidea
Family :
Aglajidae
Distribution : West Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean and now Madagascar.
Maximal size : 50 mm
Abundance : Seldom if ever on the fore reef zone
Species characteristics :
This species can be readily identified by its white body with yellow and black lines around the edges. |
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Photo Nathalie Bazard
Madagascar, "Anémone", Nosy bé, 22 m, 20 September 2013, size : 40 mm
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See more about : Sightening and mating periods
Remarks :
 Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow.
Synonymous : (according Worms)
- No other name
Bibliographic data :
Some specimens have extra black spots on the mantle.
Like other Chelidonura, C. pallida feed on tiny acoel flatworms, which live on almost every coral reef substrate. Chelidonura "smell" or sense their flatworm prey with a pair of round, bristle covered lobes on either side of the head. These sensory lobes are used also to find potential mates and when tailing other individuals, a common behavior for members of this genus.
Similar in colour to Chelidonura electra , but that species has no black markings, and the left "tail" is much fleshier.
References :
Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Chelidonura pallida
Nudipixel Chelidonura pallida
Publications :
Risbec, J., (1951). Notes sur les Tectibranches de Nouvelle-Calédonie. Journal de la Société des Océanistes, 7(7) : 123-158.
Zamora-Silva A. & Malaquias M.A.E. (2017). Molecular phylogeny of the Aglajidae head-shield sea slugs (Heterobranchia: Cephalaspidea): new evolutionary lineages revealed and proposal of a new classification. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Other photos of Chelidonura pallida :
More photos from Indian Ocean
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