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

Order : Nudibranchia Suborder : Euctenidiacea Superfamily : Phyllidioidea Family : Dendrodorididae Distribution : Tropical Indo-West Pacific Maximal size : 90 mm Abundance : Seldom if ever on the rocky coast Species characteristics : The body is cream to translucent white blotched with brown and there are rows of stellate white patches along the sides of the notum The ends of the rhinophores are white. The gill pocket is placed much nearer the posterior end of the body
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Norbert Verneau Mayotte, Platier de Papani, less 1 m, 12 February 2012

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow
    According Baba description "The underside of the body uniformly dirty yellow" but Christophe Cadet specimen has a cream white underface with small brown patches around the foot sole.
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
          - No other name

Bibliographic data :

The Dendrodoris characteristically elongates by forming the posterior end of the foot into a temporary sucker, and then greatly extends the anterior end, much like a leech or the aplysiid Dolabrifera dolabrifera.
    The edge of the mantle can be very thin and folded and the gill pocket is placed much nearer the posterior end of the body than is normal in cryptobranch dorids.
    It is translucent white with larger brown spots arranged in a approximate line centrally and brown speckles all over. The pustule and conical projections are white.
    In some specimen, presence of a double row of almost starlike white blotches along its back and a ring of smaller white blotches at the edges.
    In juveniles, the dark spots are much more clearly defined, while in larger specimens, the background colour becomes a more translucent grey, and the spots, which are sometimes linked, are a lighter brown and more diffuse.
    It occurs at moderately exposed to highly exposed sites and lays a cream egg mass.
    Baba (1936) described the animal from a single 60 mm specimen collected on 26 July 1934, from Ishigaki-shima (approximately 400km SW of Okinawa).
Baba (1994) more recently describes the anatomy in greater detail.
Baba's original description of external morphology fits the local Okinawan specimens quite nicely as follows :

        "The ground colour of the back is a pale dirty yellow, becoming darker towards the middle, and is closely covered with dark brown mottles of various size. The perforations of the rhinophores are dark olive and the branchial plumes are stained with pale brown inside. The underside of the body uniformly dirty yellow."
    Wells & Bryce (1993, p. 141, fig. 184) feel that Dendrodoris elongata is a junior synonym of D. albobrunnea. However, the dorsum of D. elongata is relatively smooth (having small subconical granules) whereas D. albobrunnea [= D. albopurpura] has distinctive conical warts all over the dorsum.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Dendrodoris elongata
   Nudipixel Dendrodoris elongata

Publications :

Baba, K. (1936). Opisthobranchia of the Ryukyu (Okinawa) Islands . Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Kyushu Imperial University, 5(1): 1-50, Pl. 1-3.
    Baba, K. 1994. Anatomy of Dendrodoris elongata Baba, 1936 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Dendrodorididae) from Sado, Japan. Rep. Sado Mar. Biol. Station Niigata Univ. 1994(24):23-27.
    Wells, F.E. and Bryce, C.W. 1993. Sea Slugs and their Relatives of Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Australia.

Other photos of Dendrodoris elongata :

Christophe Cadet Réunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 14 December 2011, size : 60 mm face ventrale blanc créméux parsemée de petites taches brunes ou gros points autour du pied Cream white underface with small brown patches around the foot sole.

Maurice Jay Réunion, "Mare de baramine", permanent pool at Saint Paul, size : 25 to 40 mm In this photo you clearly see the presence of a double row of almost starlike white blotches along its back and a ring of smaller white blotches at the edges.

Alain-Benoît Rassat Madagascar, Nosy bé, plateau des arches, 18 m, 18 May 2013, size : 70 mm

Norbert Verneau Mayotte, Papani, less 1 m, 14 April 2013, size : 15 mm

If you have taken a photo of this Dendrodoris in Reunion, Mauritius, mayotte or Madgascar Islands, please Contact us...