Rostanga pulchra explained

Rostanga pulchra is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Discodorididae.

Distribution

This is a well known species which has been reported on the Pacific Ocean coast of North, Central and South America from Point Craven, Alaska to the Gulf of California, Panama, Chile and Argentina.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]}

Description

Size up to 30 mm in length.^[22]

Notes and References

1. Behrens, D. W. 1980. Pacific coast nudibranchs, a guide to the opisthobranchs of the northeastern Pacific, 112 pp., 162 photos. Sea Challengers, Los Osos, Calif.
2. Behrens, D. W. 1991. Pacific coast nudibranchs: a guide to the opisthobranchs, Alaska to Baja California, vi + 107 pp., 217 photos. Second Edition. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California.
3. Behrens, D. W. 2004. Pacific Coast Nudibranchs, Supplement II New species to the Pacific Coast and new information on the oldies. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 55(2):11–54.
4. Behrens, D. W. 2005. Nudibranch behavior, 176 pp. New World Publications, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.
5. Behrens, D. W., & Alicia Hermosillo. 2005. Eastern Pacific nudibranch, a guide to the opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America. vi + 137 pp., 314 photos. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California.
6. Camacho-Garcia, Y. E., T. M. Gosliner., & Á. Valdés. 2005. Guía de campo de las babosas marinas del Pacifica esto tropical / Field guide to the sea slugs of the tropical eastern Pacific. California Academy of Sciences, 129 pp.
7. Farmer, W. M. 1980. Sea-slug gastropods, 177 pp. W. M. Farmer Enterprises, Tempe, Arizona.
8. Guernsey, Mabel. 1912. Some of the Mollusca of Laguna Beach. First Annual Report of the Laguna Marine Laboratory, Laguna Beach, Orange County, California, Pomona College, pp. 68–82.
9. Hoffman, H. 1933. In: H. G. Bronns. Klassen und Ordnungen des Tierreichs wissenschaftlich dartgestellt in Wort und Bild. 3. Band: Mollusca (Weichtiere), II. Abteilung: Gastropoda, 3. Buch: Opisthobranchia, Teil. 1, 2 Lieferung, pp. 153–312, pl. 1.
10. Lamb, Andy, & Bernard P. Hanby. 2005. Marine Life of the Pacific northwest, a photographic encyclopedia of invertebrates, seaweeds and selected fishes, 398 pp. Harbour Publishing.
11. MacFarland, F. M. 1906. Opisthobranchiate Mollusca from Monterey Bay, California, and vicinity. Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Fisheries 25:109-151, pls. 18-31.
12. MacFarland, F. M. 1966. Studies of opisthobranchiate mollusks of the Pacific coast of North America. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 6:1-546, pls. 1-72.
13. Marcus, Er. 1959. Reports from the Lund University Chile Expedition 1948-49, No. 36. Lamellariacea und Opisthobranchia. Lunds Universitets Årsskrift (Ny Följd), Avd. 2, 55(9):1-133.
14. Marcus, Ev., & Er. Marcus. 1969a. Opisthobranchian and lamellarian gastropods collected by the "Vema". American Museum Natural History Novitates (2368):1-33.
15. McDonald, G. R. 1983. A review of the nudibranchs of the California coast. Malacologia 24(1-2):114-276.
16. McDonald, G. R., & J. W. Nybakken. 1980. Guide to the nudibranchs of California, including most species found from Alaska to Oregon, 72 pp., 112 photos. American Malacologists.
17. Muniain, C., & A. Valdés. 2000. Rostanga byga Er. Marcus, 1958 from Argentina: redescription and comparison to Rostanga pulchra MacFarland, 1905 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Doridina). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 52(1):1-10.
18. O'Donoghue, C. H. 1922. Notes on the nudibranchiate Mollusca from the Vancouver Island region. I. Colour variations. Transactions of the Royal Canadian Institute 14(1):123-130, pl. 2.
19. Rudman, W. B., & G. J. Avern. 1989. The genus Rostanga Bergh, 1879 (Nudibranchia: Dorididae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 96(3):281-338.
20. Schrödl, Michael. 1996. Nudibranchia y Sacoglossa de Chile: morfologia externa y distribucion. Gayana Zoología 60(1):17-62.
21. Schrödl, M . 2003. Sea slugs of southern South America, 165 pp. ConchBooks.
22. Rudman, W.B., 2002 (February 4) Rostanga pulchra MacFarland, 1905. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

    Habitat

    Found intertidally under boulders and in shallow water, normally feeding on the sponge Ophlitaspongia pennata.

    References