This species has been observed on Mayotte and Madagascar Islands

Order : Nudibranchia Suborder : Dexiarchia Superfamily : Tritonioidea Family : Bornellidae Distribution : Indo Pacific. Maximal size : 50 mm Abundance : Species characteristics : Translucent cream-white with a network of orange markings on all the body and scattered sub epidermal opaque white granules This color pattern extends to the rhinophore sheaths The lobe-like oral tentacles, rhinophoral papillae and dorsolateral processes are translucent white and have a subapical orange ring Posterior to the rhinophores, there are five to six pairs of dorsolateral processes. The rhinophore sheath has a tall stalk which branches distally into elongate papillae.. They were unbranched.
	Showing species characteristics...	Photo Philibert Bidgrain Mayotte, "Gombé Ndroumé" , less 1 m, 21 December 2011, size : 20 mm

Remarks :

Identification confirmed by Nathalie Yonow
    Synonymous : (according Worms)
               - Bornella adamsii Gray, 1850                                     - Bornella digitata A. Adams & Reeve, 1850
               - Bornella arborescens Pease, 1871                           - Bornella hancockana Kelaart, 1859
               - Bornella caledonica Crosse, 1875                             - Bornella marmorata Collingwood, 1881
               - Dendronotus stellifer A. Adams & Reeve, 1848          - Dendronotus tenellus A. Adams & Reeve, 1848 

Bibliographic data :

Materiel dissected In Pola, Rudman & Gosliner, 2009 : Madagascar, Nosy Be, reef just north of small Island, off Les Cocotiers Hotel, two specimens 7 and 12 mm preserved, dissected, 17 April 1989, coll: T.M. Gosliner     The transparency of the body walls varies in different specimens     The head is rounded and bears a modified lobe-like oral tentacle on each side of the mouth. In most specimens each lobe-like oral tentacle is a palmate structure with up to 13 finger-like papillae, of unequal length, arranged in two distinct marginal rows. In several immature specimens the number of digitiform papillae was lower, between seven and nine.     Posterior to the rhinophores, there are five to six pairs of dorsolateral processes, followed by two single, small processes in the dorsal midline.     The rhinophores are perfoliate with about 13 to 20 translucent white lamellae. The rhinophore sheath has a tall stalk which branches distally into three elongate anterior and antero-lateral papillae and one posterior bulbous, slightly laterally compressed papilla, about twice the height of the others. In one specimen, we found two posterior papillae but they were both unbranched.     Bornella stellifer looks like B. hermanni but B. hermanni can be distinguished from B. stellifer in many different ways, including the shape of the posterior sail of the rhinophore sheaths and the dorsolateral processes             - in B. hermanni they are always branched while in B. stellifer they are simple, rounded papillae.             - Bornella hermanni also lacks the orange-red subapical ring on the papillae, being cream-white in color

References :

Bill Rudman Seaslug site : Sea Slug Forum : Bornella stellifer
    Philippines Seaslugs: Bornella stellifer

Publications :

Adams A. & Reeve L. (1848-1850). Mollusca . In A. Adams (ed.), The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Samarang, under the command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., F.R.A.S., F.G.S., during the years 1843-1846 . Reeve & Benham, London, x + 87 pp., 24 pls. [i-x, 1-24, pls 1-9 (1848); 25-87, pls 10-24 (1850)].
    Pola, M., Rudman, W. B. & Gosliner, T. M. (2009) Systematics and preliminary phylogeny of Bornellidae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Dendronotina) based on morphological characters with description of four new species. Zootaxa , 1975, 1-57.

Other photos of Bornella stellifer :

Philibert Bidgrain Mayotte, "Gombé Ndroumé" , less 1 m, 21 December 2011, size : 20 mm	The shape of the posterior sail of the rhinophore sheaths and the dorsolateral processes : they are simple, rounded papillae.

Matthias Deuss Mayotte, Plage du préfet, less 1 m , 9 August 2009, size : 20 mm The shape of the posterior sail of the rhinophore sheaths and the dorsolateral processes : they are simple, rounded papillae (a)

Sylvain Le Bris   Mayotte, Nurserie, 10 m, 8 December 2008

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