Ceratosoma sp. 2

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae

PHOTO

Locality: Lembeh Strait, 15m, Indonesia, 12 November 2007. Length: 5 cm. Photographer: Ing. Harald Sapper.

This is an unnamed species of Ceratosoma which is apparently mimicking the sponge it feeds on. This is only a suggestion as we don't know what this species feeds on and we have little information on what most species of Ceratosoma feed on. However all species of Ceratosoma for which we have some information feed on sponges of the family Dysideidae, and if you have a look at a few examples on the Forum [see messages #2826, #11334, #19789] you will see this animals does indeed have a remarkable resemblance to such a sponge. I am sure the pale network in the skin is not a network of muscle fibres but a colour pattern to match the spongin fibres found in the fibrous skeleton of dysideid sponges.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (April 26) Ceratosoma sp. 2 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/cerasp2

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