This species has been observed on Mayotte, Madagascar and Zanzibar
Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Dexiarchia
Superfamily : Tritonioidea
Family : Tritiniidae
Distribution : Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comores, and the red sea and Philippines
Maximal size : 50 mm
Abundance :
Species characteristics :
The colour of the body ranges from grey to brown or green and there is a pattern of dark brown transverse lines across the mantle.
The up to 9 gills are arranged in pairs, the first pair exending out almost horizontally, the next pair stading vertically, and the rest in alternating position
The gills coloration is not uniform, variable in color, in the shade of dark green, dark purple... but always darker than the notum
The bases of the gills and rhinophores and the oral veil were spotted with dark brown
The mantle edge is clearly delineated by a small ridge usually outline in white
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Yvon Gildas
Mayotte, Passe en S, 3 m ,buoy n°3, 22 February 2010, size : 40 mm |
See more about : Sightening and mating periods
Remarks :
 Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow and Terry Gosliner
Synonymous : (according Worms)
- Marioniopsis fulvicola Avila, Kelman, Kashman & Benahayu, 1999
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Données bibliographiques :
Body colour variations :
- There are sometimes white lines or rows of white dots across the mantle. There is usually a similar colour pattern on the sides of the body.
- Body white or yellowish, with a series of brown, opaque white or purple transverse lines on the notum
- A very pale form also exists
The bases of the gills and rhinophores and the oral veil were spotted with dark brown or red raised patches; sometimes there were also a few spots on the neck
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The rhinophore sheaths were flared with simple edges
The gills alternate along each side from facing semi-vertically to semi-horizontally, the last two or three on each side rapidly decreased in size and were closer together than the rest
The anal opening was clearly visible under the fourth right gill
The velum was bilobed with four or five apparently simple digitations (sometimes with bifid apices) on each side, the innermost are the shortest
Active nocturnally
There are colour forms to match the variable colour of the soft coral on which they are found. This colour match, and their gills, which look remarkably like the extended polyps of the soft coral, make them extremely well camouflaged.
Avila, Kelman, Kashman & Benayahu (1999) report that this species feeds exclusively on the soft coral Parerythropodium fulvum, where it is often found,
but all species of Parerythropodium were reclassifed in Rhytisma (Alderslade, 2000) so we have to say
Rhytisma fulva
The egg mass is a yellow brown flat spiral found in the spring
References :
Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Marionia levis
Eilat invertebrate site Marionia levis
Publications :
Avila, C., Kelman, D., Kashman, Y., and Benayahu, Y. (1999) An association between a dendronotid nudibranch (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) and a soft coral (Octocorallia, Alcyonaria) from the Red Sea. Journal of Natural History 33: 1433-1449.
Eliot, C.N.E. (1904) On some nudibranchs from East Africa and Zanzibar. Part V. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1904(2): 83-105, Pls.3-4.
Yonow, N. (2000) Red Sea Opisthobranchia 4: The orders Cephalaspidea, Anaspidea, Notaspidea and Nudibranchia: Dendronotacea and Aeolidacea. Fauna of Arabia, 18: 87-131.
Other photos of Marionia levis :
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Yvon Gildas
Mayotte, Passe en S, 3 m ,buoy n°3, 22 February 2010, size : 40 mm
The velum was bilobed with four or five apparently simple digitations, sometimes with bifid apices (a)
The rhinophore sheaths were flared (b) with simple edges (c)
The bases of the rhinophores were spotted with dark brown (d) |
The colour of the body ranges from grey to brown or green and there is a pattern of dark brown transverse lines (a) across the mantle.
There are sometimes white lines or rows of white dots (b) across the mantle.
In this specimen the colour pattern on the sides of the body is very different than the dorsal notum coloration |
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Rozenn Gildas |
Mayotte, Passe en S, 16 m, bouée n° 8, 22 March 2010 |
According Terry Gosliner : " I think your animal is more likely a color variant of Marionia levis"
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Arnaud Douay
Zanzibar, Nungwi Tumbatu, 28 February 2013,
Only a few dartk purple spots on the gills. |
More photos from Indian Ocean
Madagascar, Marionia levis, at Nosy Be, by Sully Bachel
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