This species has been observed on Mauritius and Madagascar Islands

Order : Nudibranchia Suborder : Euctenidiacea Superfamily : Polyceroidea Family : Polyceridae Distribution : Dubai, Myanmar, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Mauritius Maximal size : 75 mm Abundance : Seldom if ever on the fore reef zone Species characteristics : Pink or red background color, heavily speckled all over with large white spots and black spots surrounded by an opaque white ring There are three tripinnate branchial leaves that each insert separately into the dorsum A yellow orange line runs along the margin of the foot and the margin of the oral veil. Three pairs of lateral appendages which are rounded and form pinkish yellow globular structures
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Yann von Arnim Mauritius, Ferme marine de Mahébourg, 22 m, December 2014, size : 40 mm

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Terry Gosliner, Angel Valdès and Nathalie Yonow
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
               - No other name

Bibliographic data :

The oral veil is wide flattened and fringed
    The rhinophores are yellow-pink for their whole length. At the tip of the clavus there is a short white line
    The rhinophoral sheath is the same background color as the body and is short with its margin lined by white and yellow pigment
    There are three pairs of lateral appendages, which are rounded and form prominent globular structures. These globular structures are much larger in the posterior most pair of appendages. The anterior pairs are very short and rounded. All are pink-yellowish in color
    The posterior portion of the foot forms a well-developed elongated keel that is slightly fringed in its upper margin.
    Etymology : This species is named for Carol Harris mother. Carol collected the first specimens of this species
    The most similar species to Plocamopherus margaretae is P. tilesii, but there are some differences :
          - P. margaretae has pink-red background coloration, P. tilesii has a whitish or yellowish coloration
          - Both have black dots all over the notum, however they are more regularly distributed and scarcer in P. margaretae than in P. tilesii
          - Another external characteristic that differentiates both species is the number of lateral appendages and globular structures that are present, with three pairs in P. margaretae and two in P. tilesii

References :

Publications :

Vallès Y. & Gosliner T.M. 2006. Shedding light onto the genera (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) Kaloplocamus and Plocamopherus with description of new species belonging to these unique bioluminescent dorids . The Veliger 48(3): 178-205

Other photos of Plocamopherus margaretae :

Yann von-Arnim   Mauritius, Mahebourg Marine Farm, site de la Pointe Bambou, 22 m, 12 January 2016

Nathalie Bazard   Madagascar, Nosy Bé, 12 August 2017

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