Asteronotus cespitosus

Asteronotus cespitosus is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae.^[2]

Asteronotus cespitosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Nudibranchia
Family:	Discodorididae
Genus:	Asteronotus
Species:	A. cespitosus
Binomial name
Asteronotus cespitosus van Hasselt, 1824[1]
Synonyms
Actinodoris mauritiana Quoy, H.E.T. & J.P. Gaimard, 1832 Asteronotus bertrana Bergh, L.S.R., 1878 Asteronotus brassica Allan, J.K., 1932 Asteronotus fuscus O'Donoghue, C.H., 1924 Asteronotus hemprichi Ehrenberg, 1831 Asteronotus madrasensis O'Donoghue, C.H., 1932 Asteronotus wardianus Allan, J.K. 1932 Doris cerebralis Gould, A.A., 1852 Doris crescentica Collingwood, C., 1881 Doris exanthemata Kelaart, E.F., 1858 Doris foetida Pease, W.H., 1860 Doris mabilla "Bergh, L.S.R." Abraham, P.S., 1877 Doris vesiculosa Ehrenberg, C.G. MS Jorunna marchadi Risbec, 1956

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^[3][4][5] and out into the Pacific Ocean as far as Hawaii and Japan.^[6]

Description

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.^[2]

Ecology

Asteronotus cespitosus feeds on sponges.