New Caledonian vayssierea (Vayssierea caledonica)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from SeaLifeBase, occurrence map from GBIF, description from Wikipedia.
Vayssierea caledonica is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch in the gastropod family Okadaiidae. It is considered a close relative of all the species in the Vayssierea genus (V. caledonica, V. felis, V. cinnabarea, and V. elegans). That entire genus however is sometimes referred to under one species name, V. felis.
- Scientific name
- Vayssierea caledonica
- Authority
- Risbec, 1928
- Family
- Polyceridae
- Order
- Nudibranchia
- Depth range
- 0–3 m
- Habitat zone
- benthic
- Gbif occurrence records
- 24
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Mollusca · Class: Gastropoda · Order: Nudibranchia · Family: Polyceridae · Genus: Vayssierea.
Accepted name: Vayssierea caledonica · Authority: Risbec, 1928 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 533871.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=533871 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)
Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Vayssierea caledonica. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Depth range: 0–3 m · Habitat zone: benthic · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.
Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 81632) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Vayssierea-caledonica.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
24 georeferenced occurrence records for Vayssierea caledonica are published through GBIF from 2 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 9 distinct locations from a sample of 24 records, omitting 4 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: New Caledonia (14); Australia (10).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 4596973) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4596973&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=533871 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
When full grown this red-orange nudibranch is about 1–2.5 mm in size. They lack external gills and also have primitive rhinophores. This species reproduces by direct development and can lay over ten eggs. These eggs take about 29 days to hatch.
V. caledonica is found in the waters off New Caledonia and also Australia, specifically in the New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland territories.
This species can be found in 0–3 m of water. They are usually on rocks associated with the tube worms they eat. They can also be found underneath rocks during low tide or floating on brown algae.
This species feeds on Spirorbis or other tube worms. In Victoria it is usually found near its food source, the serpulid polychaete worm Salmacina dysteri.
The name for this nudibranch comes from where it was discovered, New Caledonia.
This nudibranch was first named by Jean Risbec in 1928. Although Vayssierea caledonica is accepted as a species by many individuals, there are some that argue that all Veyssierea should be under one species name, V. felis. Risbec described this nudibranch as differing in radula morphology from other Veyssierea by having two lateral teeth instead of three. Individuals argue that viewing these small specimens under a light microscope can be misleading.
Source: Wikipedia: Vayssierea caledonica — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vayssierea_caledonica (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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