Dendrodoris coronata    Kay and Young, 1969

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This species has been observed on Reunion and Mayotte Islands


Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Euctenidiacea
Superfamily : Phyllidioidea
Family : Dendrodorididae
Distribution : Tropical Western Pacific, Red Sea, Reunion and Mayotte
Maximal size : 45 mm
Abundance : Seldom on the rocky coast

Species characteristics :

The mantle is transparent white, or yellow/orange, peppered with black and flaked with white.

It is ornamented with numerous but irregular scattered pustules, those immediately anterior to the gill crownlike on a transverse raised ridge. This ridge is usually highlighted by white pigment.

The rhinophores are fawn to yellow/orange, with grey stalks, peppered with black.

 dendrodoris coronata
Showing species characteristics...
Photo Christophe Cadet
Réunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 18 October 2005, size : 25-30 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow, Hsini Lin and Dave Behrens
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
          - No other name

Bibliographic data :

The rhinophores are long and slender, with about 12 lamellae; they are fawn to yellow/orange with grey stalks peppered with black.
    The gill are large and feathery; they are fawn to yellow/orange with grey axes.
    The animal is broadly oval, wider posteriorly than anteriorly, soft, and the mantle margins are very thin and undulated.
    The ventral surface of the foot is white.
    This animal has a remarkable resemblance to a small living cowry snail (Cypraeidae).
    The species is named for the middorsal crown of tubercles on the mantle; the crownlike arrangement of the tubercles consistently distinguishes this species from other pustulate dendrodorids.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Dendrodoris coronata
   Marshall Seaslug Dendrodoris coronata
   Okinawa Seaslug Dendrodoris coronata

Publications :

Kay, E.A. & Young, D.K. (1969). The Doridacea (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Hawaiian Islands. Pacific Science, 23 : 172-231.
    Valdés Á. & Gosliner T.M. (1999). Phylogeny of the radula-less dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia), with the description of a new genus and a new family.. Zoologica Scripta 28 : 315-360

Other photos of Dendrodoris coronata :

 

Maeva Terrapon

Mayotte, Passe en S, 15 m, September 2015

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 14 December 2011, size : 12 mm

The rhinophores (a) are long and slender, with about 12 lamellae; they are fawn to yellow/orange, peppered with black.

It is ornamented with numerous but irregular scattered pustules, those immediately anterior to the gill crownlike on a transverse raised ridge (b). This ridge is usually highlighted by white pigment.

 

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 26 August 2011, size : 5 mm

 

A juvenile form...

It is ornamented with numerous but irregular scattered pustules, those immediately anterior to the gill crownlike on a transverse raised ridge (a). This ridge is usually highlighted by white pigment.

Christophe Cadet

Reunion, Etang salé on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 30 December 2015, size : 5 mm

 

Identified as D. coronata juvenile by Hsini Lin and Dave Behrens

 

A small specimen

 More photos from Indian Ocean

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