) Notarchus indicus Schweigger, 1820
Notarchus indicus    Schweigger, 1820

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This species has been observed on Madagascar Island


Order : Anaspidea
Superfamily : Aplysioidea
Family : Aplysiidae
Distribution : Indo Pacific
Maximal size : 35 mm
Abundance :


Species characteristics :

This sea hare has fine papillae, some with white tips.

Translucent cream, greenish or brown with scattered darker spots and smaller opaque white or yellow dots

Caracterised by a squat body and fused parapodia except for an anterior aperture

 

phyllaplysia cf padinae
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Photo Alain-Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé

Remarks :

Synonymous : (according Worms)
               - Aplysia gelatinosa Rang, 1828                             - Notarchus ceylonicus Farran, 1905
               - Notarchus cuvieri Blainville, 1824                         - Notarchus globulus Pruvot-Fol, 1933
               - Notarchus petaurista Irendale, 1929     

Bibliographic data :

Notarchus is a genus of Sea Hare in which the parapodia are almost completely fused. There is a small anterior opening to allow an exchange of water to the mantle cavity.
    They have no shell.
    When disturbed, it swims backward via "jet propulsion" by forcefully expelling water from its mantle cavity through the anterior aperture.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Notarchus indicus
    Seaslug of Hawaii: Notarchus indicus

Publications :

Bebbington A. (1974) Aplysiid species from East Africa with notes on the Indian Ocean Aplysiomorpha (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 54(1): 63-99
    Schweigger, A.F. (1820) Handbuch der Naturgeschichte der skelettlosen ungegliederten Thiere . Leipzig.
    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.

Other photos of Notarchus indicus :



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