Rostanga muscula is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.
Distribution This species is endemic to New Zealand.Rudman, W.B. & Avern, G.J. (1989) The genus Rostanga Bergh, 1879 (Nudibranchia:Dorididae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 96: 281-338.Rudman, W.B., 2002 (February 5) Rostanga muscula Rudman & Avern, 1989. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Description This dorid nudibranch is bright orange to reddish-orange, and the dorsum is covered with caryophyllidia; it is very similar to other species of Rostanga.
Ecology This is a common intertidal species. It feeds on the red sponge, Microciona coccinea (family Microcionidae). It is also found to eat the introduced sponge, Ophlitaspongia seriata (=Ophlitaspongia papilla) and the native Holoplocamium neozelanicumAyling, A. M. (1968) The feeding behaviour of Rostanga rubicunda (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Tane, 14: 25-42.
References
Spencer, H.G., Marshall, B.A. & Willan, R.C. (2009). Checklist of New Zealand living Mollusca. Pp 196-219. in: Gordon, D.P. (ed.) New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume one. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
External links Abraham P. (1877). Revision of the anthobranchiate nudibranchiate Mollusca with descriptions or notices of forty-one hitherto undescribed species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1877: 196-269, pl. 28-30 Cheeseman T.F. 1881. On some new species of Nudibranchiate Mollusca. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 13: 222-224 Spencer H.G., Willan R.C., Marshall B.A. & Murray T.J. (2011). Checklist of the Recent Mollusca Recorded from the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone Eliot, C. N. E. (1907). Nudibranchs from New Zealand and the Falkland Islands. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 7(6): 327-361