Noumea varians is a small dorid which has following distinctive characteristics :
- the translucent pink or orange mantle
- a more or less even, white line follows the dorsal midline
- the mantle is bordered with broad translucent white or slightly orange strip
- the inside edge of this strip is bordered with thin reddish purple line
- the upper half of rhinophores and gills is reddish orange, the lower half is white

Noumea varians could be mistaken for Noumea norba. Here is how to distinguish them :
- Noumea varians looks more like a species of Hypselodoris (high body, narrow mantle)
- Noumea norba looks more like a species of Chromodoris (broad mantle)

African Indian Ocean