Colpodaspis thompsoni    Brown, 1979

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


Order : Cephalaspidea
Superfamily : Philinoidea
Family : Colpodaspididae
Distribution : Tropical Indo-West Pacific
Maximal size : 5 mm
Abundance : Seldom if ever on the fore reef zone

Species characteristics :

It's black or dark brown with raised white patches on the mantle containing yellow spots. These patches are very variable, both in size and in number of yellow spots.
   On the right side of the mantle there is an elongate exhalent siphon
   Anteriorly the foot is expanded into rounded lobe and the tail extends along way posteriorly.
Colpodaspis thompsoni

Photo Christophe Cadet
Reunion, Saint Leu lagoon, less 1 m, 26 January 2010
Size : 3 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

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

Bibliographic data :

The head have an "Y" shape, The two extensions of the"Y" corresponded to the rhinophores.
    The fragile bubble-shaped shell is completely enveloped by the mantle.
    The head and tail are black or brown and the foot and rhinophores are translucent white.
    There is a large central mucus gland in the sole of the foot which probably produces a sticky mucus enabling the animal to stick on the algae on which it is found.
    Brown (1979) reports that the preferred microhabitis the brown alga Turbinaria ornata, but Willan in Heron island found only this species under dead coral slabs at the reef crest and not in association with this particular alga.
    Both diet and spawn are unknown

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Colpodaspis thompsoni
   Nudipixel Colpodaspis thompsoni

Publications :

Brown, G.H. (1979) An investigation of the anatomy of Colpodaspis pusilla (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) and a description of a new species of Colpodaspis from Tanzanian coastal waters. Journal of Zoology, London , 187 : 201-221.
 

Other photos of Colpodaspis thompsoni :

 

Nathalie Bazard

Madagascar, Nosy bé

Christophe Cadet       Mating behavior...

Reunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, 9 December 2011, size : 3-4 mm

Reunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, 11 November 2010, size : 3-4 mm

 

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Etang Salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 2 November 2010

Probably with its spawn...

 

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, L'Ermitage laggon, less 1 m , 19 February 2010, size : 3 mm

Usually this species is black or dark brown with raised white patches on the mantle containing yellow spots.

In this specimen the white area is reduced to a thin line around the yellow spot...

Colpodaspis thompsoni

 

Marina Poddubetskaia

"Passe en S" buoy n° 1bis ", Mayotte, 9 m, 13 November 2003, size : 4-5 mm

 

(a) On the right side of the mantle there is an elongate exhalent siphon

(b) The head have an "Y" shape, The two extensions of the"Y" corresponded to the rhinophores.

 

Emmanuel Eby

Reunion, Saint Leu, 17 November 2004 Size : 3-5 mm

On the right side of the mantle you can observe the elongate exhalent siphon.

 Colpodaspis thompsoni

 More photos from Indian Ocean

Reunion, Colpodaspis thompsoni black with only yellow spots, at Saint Gilles, by Christophe Cadet