Rostanga elandsia
Garovoy, Valdés & Gosliner, 2001

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

DISTRIBUTION

This species has been found from the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula at Bakoven Bay to Rooi Els, beyond the eastern shore of False Bay. It has not been recorded outside South Africa.

PHOTO

Specimen from Bakoven Bay, South Africa. PHOTO: T.M.Gosliner

The living animal is bright red in colour, with several small black spots scattered on the dorsum. The perfoliate rhinophores are also bright red and are composed of 14 horizontal transverse lamellae. The gill has the same bright red colour as the rest of the body, and is composed of 10 bipinnate branchial leaves. The body shape is oval. The notum is covered with numerous broad and short caryophyllidia tubercles. Each caryophyllidium consists of an extremely wide, flattened, ciliated tubercle with small marginal cilia and five to six slightly taller, thick spicules surrounding the tubercle. The anal papilla lies within the circlet of the branchial plume. The anterior border of the foot is bilabiate and notched. The oral tentacles are well formed, and appear conical in shape. Preserved specimens to 20 mm in length.

Rostanga elandsia is found from the mid-intertidal region to a depth of at least 30m. Associated intertidally with red sponges and subtidally on various different sponges.

Rostanga elandsia shares a background coloration with most of the Rostanga but is distinguishable anatomically. In Gosliner (1987) this species is known as Rostanga sp. 1. See Rostanga elandsia - Radula.

• Garovoy, J.B., Valdés, A., & Gosliner, T.M. (2001) Phylogeny of the genus Rostanga (Nudibranchia), with descriptions of three new species from South Africa. Journal of Molluscan Studies 67: 131-144.
• Gosliner, T. M. (1987) Nudibranchs of Southern Africa, a guide to the Opisthobranchs of southern Africa. Monterey, Sea Challengers. 136 pp.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (February 13) Rostanga elandsia Garovoy, Valdés & Gosliner, 2001. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/rostelan

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