Cyerce bourbonica Yonow, 2012
- Location
- Sokodo(Sanmata), Hachijo Island, Tokyo, Japan
- Date
- 2018/06/29
- Length
- 20mm
- Depth
- 6.0m
- Water temperature
- 26.0℃
Description
A medium-sized Cyerce reaching 15-20 mm in length. Cerata lobate and inflated, translucent white to light cream with pale green irregular patching. The cerata bear scattered white pustules, each surrounded by a translucent halo. The ceratal margin is outlined with a cream band marked by uniformly spaced bright yellow spots and a sub-marginal row of black dots on both sides. Translucent gland sacs, presumably defensive, are embedded in the tissue beneath the ceratal margin. Rhinophores and oral tentacles are light cream to pale green, with bright yellow spots at the tips and small black dots scattered along the rhinophores. Foot light cream dorsally, sprinkled with white pustules and bright yellow spots.Distribution
Type locality is L'Étang Salé, Réunion, Indian Ocean. Widespread across the Indo-West Pacific, with confirmed material from Réunion, Maui (Hawaiian Islands), Kwajalein Atoll (Marshall Islands), Bali (Indonesia), and Madang (Papua New Guinea).Etymology
The specific epithet bourbonica refers to the type locality, alluding to Île Bourbon, the former name of Réunion.Remarks
Originally described by N. Yonow based on a holotype from L'Étang Salé, Réunion. Recent molecular phylogenetic work places this species in a clade with three sister species: Cyerce trowbridgeae from the Marshall Islands, Cyerce blackburnae from the western Pacific, and Cyerce tutela from Western Australia. C. bourbonica is externally distinguished from its sister C. trowbridgeae by its lobate and lighter-coloured cerata, which lack the reticulated dark brown striations of the latter. Animals are typically associated with the green alga Halimeda and hide beneath rocks during the day.References
- テンセンウロコウミウシ（新称）, 小野篤司. (2004). 沖縄のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
- ハナビラウロコウミウシ（新称）, 中野理枝. (2011). 高知県大月町西泊地区から記録された後鰓類. Kuroshio Biosphere. 7: 1-35.
- Cyerce bourbonica, Yonow N. (2012). Opisthobranchs from the western Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species and ten new records (Mollusca, Gastropoda). ZooKeys. 197: 1-129. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.197.1728
- テンセンウロコウミウシ, ハナビラウロコウミウシ, 中野理枝, 今川郁 & 今本淳. (2015). 南西諸島で記録された嚢舌類の報告. Kuroshio Biosphere. 11: 41-60.
- Cyerce bourbonica, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.
- Cyerce bourbonica Yonow, 2012, Moreno K., Medrano S., Gosliner T.M., Wilson N.G., Krug P.J. & Valdés Á. (2025). Phylogenetic systematics of the genus Cyerce (Mollusca: Heterobranchia: Sacoglossa: Caliphyllidae) from the Pacific and Indian oceans with descriptions of nine new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 204(1): zlaf030. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf030
Featured in this book
Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2018). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific 2nd Edition. New World Pubns Inc.
New World Publications
This species, Cyerce bourbonica, is included in the book.
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Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.