This species has been observed on Reunion, Mauritius, Mayotte and Madagascar Islands
Order : Nudibranchia
Suborder : Dexiarchia
Superfamily : Fionoidea
Family : Fionidae
Distribution :
Tropical Indo-West Pacific
Maximal size : 40 mm
Abundance : From time to time on the reef flat zone
Species characteristics : The general body colouration is transparent with varying amounts of white as speckling.
The smooth rhinophores, which arise from a common base.
The cerata are arranged in transverse rows with each row being situated on a distinctively raised ridge.
The cerata tip is white and swollen. The ceratal surface bears numerous, low, irregular nodules and white patches
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Photo Philibert Bidgrain
Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, under a rock (21 April 2005)
size : 20 to 25 mm |
See more about : Sightening and mating periods
Remarks :
 Identification confirmed by Hsini Lin
Synonymes (d'après worms) :
- Cratena lugubris Bergh, 1870 - Tenellia lugubris (Bergh, 1870)
Bibliographic data :
Phestilla lugubris could be confused with Phestilla sp. 1 but that has longer cerata that are regularly pleated.
In Phestilla species, the cerata tip is white and swollen. Microscopically, the normal cubical epithelial cells have been replaced by long, columnar glandular cells which exude a sticky, apparently defensive secretion.
The typical aeolid cnidosac is absent.They are
able to autotomise (break off) their cerata when disturbed or roughly handled.
The oral tentacles are broad, relatively short, slightly nodulose, and their tips are rounded.
Each cerata row can have up to 18 cerata and there can be a total of 15 rows on either side.
The digestive gland within the cerata is light brown or dark grey.
The rhinophores, which arise from a common base, are smooth and relatively short. The rhinophores are transparent with two regions of opaque white, one near the base and the other near the middle. The rhinophoral tip can also be pigmented, either white or milky yellow.
The spawn consists of numerous ( about 25 ) creamish cup-shaped spirals attached to the host coral by their narrow end.
Phestilla lugubris lives and feeds on several species of the scleractinian coral genus Porites (family Poritidae)
References :
Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Phestilla lugubris
Nudipixel Phestilla lugubris
Publications :
Cella, K; Carmona Barnosi, L.; Ekimova, I; Chichvarkhin, A; Schepetov, D; Gosliner, T. M. (2016). A radical solution: The phylogeny of the nudibranch family Fionidae. PLoS ONE. 11(12): e0167800.,
Rudman, W.B. (1981a) Further studies on the anatomy and ecology of opisthobranch molluscs feeding on the scleractinian coral Porites . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 71 : 373-412
Other photos of Phestilla lugubris :
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Alain-Benoît Rassat
Madagascar, Nosy bé, 10 m, May 2018, size : 15 mm
With its spawn...
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Philibert Bidgrain
Reunion, Etang salé lagoon, under a rock (21 April 2005)
size : 20 to 25 mm
Two animals are present under the same rock.
Details from rhinophores and cerata.
- The cerata tip is white and swollen.
- The ceratal surface bears numerous, low, irregular nodules and white patches
- The digestive gland within the cerata is light brown.
- The smooth rhinophores, which arise from a common base are transparent.
- The rhinophoral tip have slightly white pigmentation.
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Sonia Ribes Beaudemoulin
Reunion, Trois Bassins lagoon, 6 January 2008
The spawn consists of numerous ( about 25 ) whitish cup-shaped spirals attached by their narrow end |
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Maurice Jay
Reunion, La saline lagoon, under a rock. 1 Jully 1989
This spawn consists of creamish cup-shaped spirals are obtained in aquarium.
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Philibert Bidgrain
Reunion, Trou d'eau, less 1 m, 11 October 2010, size : 15-20 mm for the larger
3 specimens with a yellowish spawn
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Philibert Bidgrain mboueanatsa, Mayotte, on the reef flat zone, less 1 m, 13 October 2008, size : 25-30 mm
The spawn consists of numerous ( about 25 ) whitish cup-shaped spirals attached by their narrow end. |
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Nathalie Rodrigues
Réunion, Etang salé, on the rocky coast, less 1 m, 3 December 2014
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Geoffrey Summers
Mauritius, Pointe d'Esny lagoon, December 2015
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More photos from Indian Ocean
Reunion, Phestilla lugubris, at Etang salé, by Philibert Bidgrain
Reunion, Phestilla lugubris with dark brown digestive gland on a Porites, at Saint Gilles, by Philippe Bourjon
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