Rostanga crawfordi is a species of sea slug, a doridnudibranch, a marinegastropodmollusc in the familyDiscodorididae. Originally described as Discodoris crawfordi, it was redescribed by Rudman & Avern as Rostanga australis. The two names were synonymised by Dayrat.[3] It was named after Tom Crawford, an Australian malacologist who compiled an extensive collection of Opisthobranchia prior to his death in 1966 at the age of 22.[4]
This species was described from Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia. It is known only from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, Australia.[3]
Description
This dorid nudibranch is pale orange-yellow to orange-pink in colour; the dorsum is covered with caryophyllidia.[2][5]
Ecology
Rostanga crawfordi is found on the red sponge, Psammoclema, on which it presumably feeds.[2] This sponge genus is currently classified in the family Chondropsidae. Most other species of Rostanga feed on sponges of the family Microcionidae.
References
↑ Burn, R.F. (1969). "A memorial report on the Tom Crawford collection of Victorian Opisthobranchia". Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia. 12: 64–106.
1 2 3 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.
1 2 Dayrat B. 2010. A monographic revision of discodorid sea slugs (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia, Nudibranchia, Doridina). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, vol. 61, suppl. I, 1-403, 382 figs.
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