Chelidonura flavolobata
Heller & Thompson 1983

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: PHILINOIDEA
Family: Aglajidae

DISTRIBUTION

Red Sea

PHOTO

UPPER: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Red Sea) PHOTO: Gordon T. Smith
LOWER: Hurghada, Red Sea, divesite "Fort Arabesque Shore", approx 5cm long, depth 10m, 1 February 1999. Photo: Franco de Lorenzi.

Chelidonura flavolobata has only been reported from the Red Sea. It is black, but often appears deep blue, probably from the light effects caused by the dense covering of cilia. It has been considered unique from other species of Chelidonura in having a large yellowish lobe on each side of the mouth, but see discussion suggesting that is quite variable in colour, with some specimens having white head lobes with the yellow limited to a marginal band, and having a white edge to parts of the parapodia and the posterior tip of the head shield. It grows to about 5 cm.

References:
• Heller & Thompson, T.E. 1983 Opisthobranch molluscs of the Sudanese Red Sea. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 78(4): 317-348
• Yonow, N. 1990 Red Sea Opisthobranchia: The orders Sacoglossa, Cephalaspidea, and Nudibranchia: Doridacea (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia). Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 11: 286-299

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (January 21) Chelidonura flavolobata Heller & Thompson 1983 . [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/chelflav

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