Скачать или смотреть Rostanga pulchra - red dorid dudes of vancouver island

Rostanga pulchra is a lovely dorid species found in the north east pacific ocean from Alaska to the Gulf of Argentina, however i found mine when i went to Vancouver island this year! 


They are found on red sponges of Acarnus,Esperiopsis,Ophlitaspongia, and Plocamia which can make them quite hard to find as they are the same color as the sponge they eat, often getting their pigment from the sponge, which is why the individuals i saw ranged from orange to a bright red! Some adults of R. pulchra can even smell the sponges!


R. pulchra has tubercules found along their dorusm and can pull their gills into a sheath/pocket, making them cryptobranchs. On the ridge of the matle you can see the white outermost papillae.


Their rhinophores have 10-12 lamellae and are a key identifyig feature from telling apart from Aldisa sanguinea which has peliforate rhinophores.