Speckled Swallow-tailed Sea Slug
Biuve fulvipunctata
- Usual depth2–16 m
- Water temperature17–29 °C
- Best monthsFebruary, March, and April
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) libby hepburn, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Biuve fulvipunctata, the white-speckled headshield slug, is a species of sea slug or headshield slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. This species is widespread in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but has invaded the Mediterranean Sea since 1961, despite apparently being absent from the Red Sea until recorded there in the 21st century. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Biuve.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Biuve fulvipunctata”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 49 records
- February: 50 records
- March: 51 records
- April: 52 records
- May: 43 records
- June: 33 records
- July: 35 records
- August: 35 records
- September: 47 records
- October: 47 records
- November: 41 records
- December: 46 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–16 m · Deepest record: 20 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 17–29 °C
Photos
(c) 呂一起(Lyu yi-chi), some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) libby hepburn, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ben Jobson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Srichakra Pranav Tamarapalli, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Ben Jobson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Speckled Swallow-tailed Sea Slug, White-speckled Headshield Slug
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Chélidonure doublevé
- Japanese
- アカボシツバメガイ
- Simplified Chinese
- 褐斑燕尾海牛, 褐斑美麗海蛞蝓
Other scientific names: Aglaja fulvipunctata, Chelidonura conformata, Chelidonura fulvipunctata, Chelidonura mediterranea
Similar species
Lovely Headshield SlugChelidonura amoena
T-bar SwallowtailChelidonura hirundinina
Beautiful SwallowtailPhilinopsis speciosa
- Headlight Swallowtail
Mariaglaja inornata
Blue-ringed SwallowtailChelidonura livida
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 237 open-data records from 1972 to 2026.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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