This species has been observed on Reunion Island

Order : Sacoglossa Super-family : Oxynooidea Family : Juliidae Distribution : Indo West Pacific Maximal size : 8 mm Abundance : Species characteristics : This species has a green to greenish-brown shell marked by radiating rows of green or brown spots that increase in number with age. The larger spots are associated with "comet tails" of cloudy white. The animals are green, sometimes frosted with brown, and flecked with white
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Christophe Cadet Reunion, Saint Leu lagoon, less 1 m, 15 March 2010, size : 10 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonon
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
        - Julia borbonica (Deshayes, 1863)
        - Prasina borbonica Deshayes, 1863

Bibliographic data :

Julia exquisita is one of a group of remarkable sacoglossan 'snails' which have a bivalve shell. Known only from their fossil shells until a few years ago, they were usually considered to be bivalves rather than gastropods. It is thought that the bivalved shell evolved from a lightly calcified shell like that of Oxynoe or Lobiger
    The shell is more heavily calcified than the species of the Berthellininae and varies in colour from bright green to reddish brown. A pattern of radiating spots can be present on the shell and can consist of white spots or darker shades of the background colour. There are a number of species of Julia with slight differences in the shape and colour of the shell
    The body is dark green, sparsely ornamented on the neck and foot with small white patches ringed with brown and with similar but much more prominent single patches on the rhinophores

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Julia exquisita
   Cataloging Diversity in the Sagoglossa Julia exquisita
   Sea Slug of Hawai'i Julia exquisita

Publications :

Dautzenberg, Ph. (1929). Contribution à l'étude de la faune de Madagascar: Mollusca marina testacea. Faune des colonies françaises, III(fasc. 4). Société d'Editions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales: Paris. 321-636, plates IV-VII pp
    Gould, A.A. (1862) Descriptions of new genera and species of shells. Boston Society of Natural History, Proceedings, 8 : 280-285
    Kay, E.A. (1962) Julia exquisita Gould, a bivalved gastropod. Pacific Science, 16(4) : 434-435

Other photos of Julia exquisata :

Raymond Huet Reunion, shell : 4.5-6.2 mm, 2014

Christophe Cadet Reunion, Les Avirons on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 20 November 2016, size : 2-3 mm

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