Home Guide to Opisthobranchs Nudibranchia Doridina Doridoidei Doridoidea Rostanga rubra

Rostanga rubra

Rostanga rubra (Risso, 1818)

Rostanga rubra @ Costa Brava, Spain by Pontes, Miquel

Taxonomy
 

Superdomain

Biota  

 

Kingdom

Animalia  

 

Phylum

Mollusca  

 

Class

Gastropoda  

 

Subclass

Heterobranchia  

 

Infraclass

Euthyneura  

 

Subterclass

Ringipleura  

 

Superorder

Nudipleura  

 

Order

Nudibranchia  

 

Suborder

Doridina  

 

Infraorder

Doridoidei  

 

Superfamily

Doridoidea  

 

Family

Discodorididae  

 

Genus

Rostanga  

 

Species

Rostanga rubra  (Risso, 1818)

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 141404).
Synonyms

  • Doris coccinea Forbes, 1848
  • Doris rubra Risso, 1818 (original)
  • Rostanga perspicillata Bergh, 1881 
  • Rostanga rufescens Iredale & O’Donoghue, 1923 
  • Rostanga temarana Pruvot-Fol, 1953 

Description
Specimens may reach about 20mm long but they generally measure from 10-15mm. The general coloration of the body is homogeneous red but the back is dotted by small brown spots, more abundant on both sides of the notum and some irregular white spots. there is a characteristic white line between the two rhinophores. All the back is adorned with numerous and tight caryophyllidean-shaped tubercles which are visible to the naked eye. Each of these tubercles has a cylindrical base widening to an inverted bell shape on top and has 5-7 divergent spines in the margin; in the center of the bell there is a central rounded button. The rhinophores are brown with some white flakes on the lamellae’s edge; the rhinophores sheath has 7-8 caryophyllidean-shaped whitish tubercles on its upper edge. There could be up to 10 branchial sheets of the same color of the body. The branchial sheath also has up to 15-16 caryophyllidean-shaped tubercles. The foot is relatively narrow with a pointed tail. The foot ahead has two short oral palps.

Biology
This colored species of doridacean is usually found from the intertidal zone, below rocks or in walls covered with algae and sponges, down to about 60 m depth. Different authors have cited that it feeds on red sponge Clathria (= Microciona) atrasanguinea, a red colored encrusting siliceous sponge from where is supposed that the nudibranch extracts the pigment that gives color to its body. It has also been reported to feed on sponges Hymeniacidon sanguinea or Ophlitaspongia pennata also encrusting and with a similar color to Clathria. In all these cases the nudibranch keeps a perfect color mimicry with the sponge, so it is not easy to find.

Etymology

  • Rostanga. Possibly referred to the Swedish village of Röstånga.
  • Rubra. From Latín “rubrus”, red.

Distribution
It is distributed throughout the Mediterranean and European Atlantic coasts up to Norway. Also cited in Cape Verde, Canary Islands and Madeira. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been found in all coastal areas. In the Catalan coast it has been sporadically located in the Costa Brava (Cap de Creus, L’Escala and Begur).

Known georeferenced records of the species: Rostanga rubra
Sources:
: OBIS
: GROC 2010-2011
: Enric Madrenas
: João Pedro Silva
: Bernard Picton
: GBIF.ORG		 : OPK
: VIMAR
: Manuel Ballesteros.
: M@re Nostrum
: Altres fonts
: Marine Regions

Abundance

    Western Mediterranean: ★☆☆☆☆
    Eastern Mediterranean: ★☆☆☆☆
    Atlantic Ocean: ★☆☆☆☆
Month

This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Rostanga rubra based on our own records.

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Bibliography

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    Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.

Further reading

Cite this article as:

Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2023) "Rostanga rubra" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 16/05/2012. Accessed: 30/03/2023. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/4bG8A)

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