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This species has been observed on Reunion Island

Order : Sacoglossa Superfamily : Limapontioidea Family : Caliphyllidae Distribution : Indo-West Pacific Maximal size : 20 mm Abundance : Seldom if ever on the rocky coast Species characteristics : A multi-coloured Cyerce with approximately 30 inflated, pustular, angular cerata whose margins are pale violet-blue with creamy orange patches and black spots The head has an orange band on either side and black spots on its frontal margin. The body and cerata are marbled light green and white
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Hugues Flodrops Reunion, Etang salé les bains on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 30 January 2008, size : 12-14 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Bill Rudman and Nathalie Yonow
    Material examined by Nathalie Yonow ( see references/publications).
           Holotype: 12 mm alive, 6.5 × 2.5 mm pres. in alcohol, Etang Salé, La Réunion, rocky coast, 1 m depth, 14 December 2009, leg. H. Flodrops, SMF 337104
           Paratypes: approx. 12 mm alive, 4 × 3 mm pres. in formalin (dissected), Etang Salé, La Réunion, rocky coast, 1 m depth, 14 December 2009, leg. H. Flodrops, SMF 337103; 10 mm alive, 4.5 × 2 mm pres. in alcohol, Etang Salé, La Réunion, rocky coast, 1 m depth, 14 December 2009, leg. H. Flodrops, SMF 337205.
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
               - No other name

Bibliographic data :

Ventrally, the propodium and metapodium each bear a row of small black dots, the former anteriorly and the latter marginally and posteriorly     Body covered in fewer than 30 slightly inflated and tubercular cerata, loosely arranged in transverse rows along each side. Each ceras can be flat or swollen, angular with rounded corners, semi-translucent beige to green, margins pale blue-violet "beaded" with opaque pale orange pigment, and sub-marginal black spots. Tubercles opaque white, concentrations of larger black spots in lateral swellings. Very few black spots scattered on cerata but yellow spots, olive-green patches, and light green to light brown marbling present.     In some photographs, paired dark brown globular patches visible in alcohol-preserved specimens can be seen as circular red-brown patches at bases of cerata     Anterior portion of body marbled: head and rhinophores semi-translucent; eyes clearly visible at bases of rhinophores     Oral tentacles short and recurved Frontal margin of head with black spots, and behind eyes and rhinophores, coalesced to form a network. Broad orange band on each side of head, outside the black spots

Pericardium immediately behind first two or three rows of cerata, swollen, ochre-coloured, bare of cerata
    It has a swimming escape behavior. When disturbed, it arches its body ventrally until the head and the tip of the foot nearly touch. In that posture, the cerata are "splayed out" into a circular position and partially contracted at their bases. Then, it swims up into the water column by rhythmically sweeping the cerata up and down creating a pulsing effect.
    Etymology. The species is named "bourbonica" after the original name of the island of La Réunion, the type locality. The island was renamed La Réunion in 1793 after the fall of the House of Bourbon (Spain and Luxembourg currently have Bourbon monarchs), but the name was changed back and forth several times until the French revolution in 1848.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Cyerce sp 3
   Nudipixel Cyerce sp

Publications :

Yonow N (2012) Opisthobranchs from the western Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species and ten new records (Mollusca, Gastropoda). ZooKeys 197: 1-129. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.197.1728

Other photos of Cyerce bourbonica :

Christophe Cadet Reunion, l'Hermitage lagoon, less 1 m, 24 December 2010, size : 5 mm The probably spawn of this species. We need other photo to confirm this observation

Philippe Bourjon Reunion, La Saline lagoon, less 1 m , 4 November 2017, size : 15 mm The probably spawn of this species...

Hugues Flodrops Detail of the upper specimen Reunion, Etang salé les bains on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 30 January 2008, size : 12-14 mm Présence of opaque white tubercles on the inflated cerata (b) The body is a typical shape for a species of Cyerce with bifurcating rhinophores (a)

Christophe Cadet Reunion, Etang salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 26 October 2009, size : 3 mm During the night... Presence of two longitudinal black lines on the notum of this small specimen

Hugues Flodrops Reunion, Etang salé les bains on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 16 December 2009, size : 10-12 mm In some photographs, paired dark brown globular patches visible in alcohol-preserved specimens can be seen as circular red-brown patches at bases of cerata

Hugues Flodrops Reunion, Etang salé les bains on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 12 December 2009, size : 10 mm The body is a typical shape for a species of Cyerce with bifurcating rhinophores (a) Anterior portion of body marbled: head and rhinophores semi-translucent; eyes (b) clearly visible at bases of rhinophores

Seb Vasquez Reunion, Etang salé les bains on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 5 February 2015 During the night   The body is a typical shape for a species of Cyerce with bifurcating rhinophores

 Reunion, Cyerce bourbonica seen from the front, at Etang salé, by Hugues Flodrops

Reunion, bifurcated rhinophores of Cyerce bourbonica, at La Saline, by Philibert Bidgrain