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

Order : Nudibranchia Suborder : Euctenidiacea Superfamily : Doridoidea Family : Chromodorididae Distribution : Tropical western Pacific and Indonesia Maximal size : 20 mm Abundance : Seldom on the fore reef zone Species characteristics : It has a translucent pinky orange mantle with distinctive opaque white markings, a marginal and a central bands    Between the marginal band and the mantle edge is a continuous dark magenta line, these increase in concentration anteriorly, posteriorly and in the waves of mantle edge     The gills are translucent and each has an orange rachis and tip    The rhinophores are translucent orange with an opaque white core
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Marina Poddubetskaia Reunion, "Eboulis Reef " Saint Leu, 12 m, 10 October 2002, size : 4-5 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Bill Rudman
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
          - Chromodoris gloriosa, Bergh, 1874
          - Chromodoris varians, Pease, 1871
          - Noumea varians, (Pease, 1871)

Bibliographic data :

The elongate ovale mantle only overlaps the foot at its widest points. Verconia varians has a distinctive shape with a constriction in the mantle skirt just behind the gills and a wide rounded spatula-like anterior end.
    The central line enlarges between the rhinophores, partially encircles the gills and could be broken.
    In some specimens, the continuous dark magenta line anteriorly and posteriorly breaks into a series of patches.
    V. norba and V. varians are quite similar in colour however their internal anatomy is quite different.

Verconia norba	Verconia varians
V. norba is quite like a species of Chromodoris in shape with a relatively wide flattened body and broad mantle skirt Presence on lateral edge of reddish purple streaks or smudged marks The gills are entirely tinged with orange-red The rhinophores are entirely tinged with orange-red.	V. varians is more like a Hypselodoris with a relatively high body and narrow mantle skirt. Absence on lateral edge of reddish purple streaks or smudged marks The gills are translucent clear with a tinge of orange in the upper half. The rhinophores are translucent orange with an opaque white core

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Noumea varians
   Nudipixel Noumea varians

Publications :

Rudman, W. B. (1984). The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 81(2): 115-273.
page(s): 143
    Rudman, W.B. (1986) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Noumea purpurea and Chromodoris decora colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 86(4) : 309-353.
    Yonow, N., (1994): Opistobranchs from the Maldives Islands, including descriptions of seven new species (Mollusca: Gastropoda), Revue française d'aquariophilie herpétologie , 20(4), 97-130.

Other photos of Verconia varians :

Olivier Fournajoux Madagascar, Baie d'Atongil, 12 m, size : 20 mm, 15 October 2018

Photo Marina Poddubetskaia Reunion, "Eboulis Reef " Saint Leu, 12 m, 10 October 2002, size : 4-5 mm Detail of the upper photo. According to Bill Rudman : It is good to get a photo of it so clearly feeding. In this photo you can observed, the everted oral tube, a sure sign it is feeding.

Alain Diringer Reunion, Cap la Houssaye at Saint Paul, 18 m, 13 April 2008, size 10 mm The gills are translucent and each has an orange rhachis and tip    The rhinophores are translucent orange with an opaque white core Between the marginal band and the mantle edge is a continuous dark magenta line, these increase in concentration anteriorly, posteriorly and in the waves of mantle edge

Sully Bachel Reunion, Cap la Houssaye at Saint Paul, 9 m, 22 November 2008, size : 20 mm Verconia varians has a distinctive shape with a constriction in the mantle skirt just behind the gills The gills are translucent and each has an orange rachis and tip The rhinophores are translucent orange with an opaque white core

Philibert Bidgrain Reunion, Grand fond lagoon, at Saint Paul, less 1 m, 23 September 2010, size 10 mm The gills are translucent clear with a tinge of orange in the upper half (a)

Philibert Bidgrain Reunion, La Saline lagoon, at Saint Gilles, less 1 m, 3 April 2011, size : 6 mm A very pale specimen...

 Reunion, Verconia varians, at Saint Paul, by Monika Bachel

Reunion, Verconia varians, at Saint Denis, by Sully Bachel

Reunion, Verconia varians on the lagoon, at Etang salé, by Christophe Cadet  

Mayotte, Verconia varians with a reddish pink mantle, at Passe en S, by Matthias Deuss 

Mauritius, Verconia varians, at Riviere Noire, by Pierre Périès