Mayotte, Chelidonura livida a Cephalaspidea black with blue ring from Reunion island (Indian Ocean) a Cephalaspidea black with blue ring

Chelidonura livida Yonow, 1994

This species has been observed on Mayotte Island

Order : Cephalaspidea
Superfamily : Philinoidea
Family : Aglajidae
Distribution : Arabian sea, western indian ocean (mayotte) and possibly from northern australia and indonesia
Maximal size : 50 mm
Abundance : (May) From time to time on the fore reef zone

Species characteristics :

The body color is black or very dark brown (paler in juvenile) with electric blue rings or spots on the head and along the parapodial edges

Showing species characteristics...

Photo Sylvain Le Bris
Mayotte, 6 December 2008

See more about : Sightening and mating periods

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Bill Rudman and Nathalie Yonow
    In Mayotte Island like in Madagascar, we found only "the ring pattern" never the "spot pattern" like in the north of its geographic area... We need to confirm this observation with other specimens...
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
               - No other name

Bibliographic data :

Along the anterior edge of the propodium ( anterior portion of the foot ) , some of the blue dots coalesce into a blue line in some specimens
    The tails are uneven, the left longer than the right, and also have spot on them
    The sensory bristles are often impossible to see in aglajids, but are visible on the anterior edge of both the juvenile and the adult in this species. These sensory bristles are used to 'smell' or otherwise detect potential prey, and mating partners, by sensing molecules in the mucous trails it finds.
    In Red sea, C. livida congregate in spring and early summer for breeding, mating in chains. It lays a white cocoon-like egg mass
    It can produce brownish yellow secretions when handled, which is toxic to fish
    Shell (on a large specimen) : the spire has 1,5 whorls and then expands to form a gently curving shell with a more calcified leading edge.
    They can be found in shallow water or sandy/silty sea beds, in sea grass beds, most often at night.

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Chelidonura livida

Publications :

Yonow, N. (1990) Red Sea Opisthobranchia 3: The orders sacoglossa, Cephalaspidea, and Nudibranchia: Doridacea (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia). Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 11 : 286-299.
Yonow, N. (1994) A new species and a new record of Chelidonura from the Red Sea (Cephalaspidea: Aglajidae). Journal of Conchology, 35 : 141-147.
Zamora-Silva A. & Malaquias M.A.E. (2017). Molecular phylogeny of the Aglajidae head-shield sea slugs (Heterobranchia: Cephalaspidea): new evolutionary lineages revealed and proposal of a new classification. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Other photos of Chelidonura livida :

Yvon Gildas

Mayotte, Passe en S, buoy n°13, 7 m, 25 November 2009

The sensory bristles (a) are often impossible to see in aglajids, but are visible on the anterior edge.

Along the anterior edge of the propodium ( anterior portion of the foot ) , some of the blue dots coalesce into a blue line (b) in this specimen