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

Order : Nudibranchia Suborder : Doridina Family : Dorididae Distribution : Tropical Indo-West Pacific Maximal size : 100 mm Abundance : Seldom on the reef flat zone Species characteristics : The background colour of the living animals is white or pale cream.There are dark, large, irregular markings of brown, purple, or grey on the dorsum. These markings vary in distribution, often covering most of the dorsum. They are composed of a number of small dark spots, which are more densely arranged in several areas. The mantle margin, the foot and the rhinophoral and branchial sheaths are edged by a thin orange or yellow line. The rhinophores are yellowish, often with darker orange tips.
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Philibert Bidgrain Mayotte, Mtsanga Guini, less 1 m, 3 August 2010, size : 50 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Angel Valdès
    In some specimens from our area, the edge of the mantle, foot, rhinophore pockets and gill pockets are orange or yellow, but in many specimens they are not

Bibliographic data :

This species, with P. formosa, P. striata, P. cruenta and P. cinerobranchia form a group of very similar species.

Remark : Dorgan, K.M., A. Valdés & T.M. Gosliner. 2002 consider that P. cruenta ( Quoy & Gaimard, 1832 ) and P. striata (Kelaart, 1858) are regarded as synonyms.

	P. formosa	P. scabra	P. cruenta	P. striata	P.cinerobranchiata
Localisation	Tropical Indo-West Pacific	Tropical Indo-West Pacific	Tropical West Pacific	Tropical Indo-West Pacific	Solomon Islands
Mantle coloration	Brown spotted with red patches	Brown spotted without red patches	Brown lined with red patches	Brown lined without red patches	Reddish, or orange patches and no brown specks or lines.
Rhinophore coloration	They are uniformly red, with the tips somewhat lighter	They are yellowish, often with darker orange tips.	They have a dark brown clavus with white flecks on the lamellae	They are dark red or brown	They are dark red or brown
Underside of the mantle and foot	The underside is white and has many large, bright orange red spots (not always easily visible). These spots are larger and densely concentrated near the foot, where some of them can be fused together	The underside of the mantle is dirty white and there are some brown speckles on the side of the foot.	The underside of the mantle is white with brown lines near the foot, and scattered red patches. The sole of the foot can also have brown lines	The underside of the mantle is white without red patches	The underside of the mantle is white with red patches

The brown patches on the mantle are arranged more or less symmetrically either side of the midline.
    The gill is composed of five to six tripinnate branchial leaves. The branchial leaves are white with irregular dark lines on the rachis of the lamellae.
    The opening of the branchial sheath has five to six lobes, with the anterior and posterior ones being larger than the others.
    The perfoliate rhinophores have 37 lamellae in one specimen examined. They are yellowish, often with darker orange tips.
    The underside of the mantle is dirty white and there are some brown speckles on the side of the foot.
    Species of Platydoris are easily recognized by their flattened, normally rigid (or coriaceous) body. This genus is also characterized by the dorsum covered with very small caryophyllidia and generally a lobate branchial sheath
    It probably feeds on siliceous sponges
    Found on shallow water under coral heads. Often crawling in the open during the night
    Breeds from May to september in Red Sea, laying an orange yellow ribbon in a spiral approximatively 100 mm across (Soliman, 1978)

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Platydoris scabra
   Nudipixel Platydoris scabra

Publications :

Dorgan, K.M., A. Valdés & T.M. Gosliner. 2002. Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Platydoris (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Doridoidea) with descriptions of six new species. Zoologica Scripta. 31(3): 271-319.
    Soliman, G. N. 1978 The redescription, reproductive and development of the Dorid Nudibranch Platydoris csabra (Cuvier) from the northwestern Red Sea. Journal of Molluscan Studies 44 (2): 151-165.

Other photos of Platydoris scabra :

Philibert Bidgrain Mayotte, Mtsanga Guini, less 1 m, 3 August 2010, size : 50 mm The mantle margin, the foot (a) and the rhinophoral (b) and branchial (d) sheaths are edged by a thin orange or yellow line. The rhinophores are yellowish, often with darker orange tips (c).

The gill is composed of five to six tripinnate branchial leaves. The branchial leaves are white with irregular dark lines (e) on the rachis of the lamellae. The opening of the branchial sheath has five to six lobes, with the anterior and posterior ones being larger than the others.

Olivier Police                                              Mayotte, Petite-Terre, less 1 m, 25 December 2010, size : 100 mm
A specimen without orange margin ion the mantle, the foot and the rhinophoral and branchial sheaths

Olivier Police Mayotte, Petite-Terre, less 1 m, 25 December 2010, size : 100 mm A second specimen without orange margin ion the mantle, the foot and the rhinophoral and branchial sheaths The brown patches on the mantle are arranged more or less symmetrically either side of the midline.

Christophe Cadet Reunion, Etang salé, less 1 m, 9 January, size : 35-40 mm A dead specimen... With the characteristic orange border on the rhinophores, gills and foot...

Madagascar, Platydoris scabra with pale orange margin, at Andavadoaka, by Alain Barrère

Mayotte, Platydoris scabra with orange margin, at Tanaraki, by Fabrice Schubert