Asteronotus cespitosus

Asteronotus cespitosus

''Asteronotus cespitosus'' is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae.
Lumpy Asteronotus Nudibranch This Asteronotus cespitosus is a large sized Nudibranch, more roundish, around 15 cm in circumference.
Its mostly all yellow in colour and lumpy. Asteronotus cespitosus,Cebu,Geotagged,Malapascua,Nudibranch,Philippines,Spring

Appearance

The body of this nudibranch grows to a length of 250 mm. It is distinctive, with ridges of large tubercles running down centre of body, and a series of tubercles running parallel to the margin. The body is firm leathery. Its colour varies from blackish grey to brown, with paler tubercles and patches of white. This provides the species with camouflage well suited to its preferred habitat. The egg ribbon, in contrast, is pink.
Lumpy Asteronotus Nudibranch - Asteronotus cespitosus                                 Asteronotus cespitosus,Bali,Geotagged,Indonesia,Lumpy Asteronotus Nudibranch,Nudibranch,Spring

Distribution

This is a widespread Indo-West Pacific marine species which occurs in the Red Sea and from the Indian Ocean coasts of Tanzania, Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius to Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and out into the Pacific Ocean as far as Hawaii and Japan.

Habitat

''Asteronotus cespitosus'' feeds on sponges.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionMollusca
ClassGastropoda
OrderNudibranchia
FamilyDiscodorididae
GenusAsteronotus
SpeciesA. cespitosus