Ceratosoma trilobatum (Three lobed t-bar nudibranch)
Identification
Shades of red-pink to white with ocellated red-orange spots, a pair of lateral body lobes adjacent to the gills and a tall upward lobe behind the gills, joined to the head by a ridge, which is outlined with a purple line. Not to be confused with Ceratosoma tenue, which has an extra pair of lateral body lobes. Ceratosma can be on dysideid sponges, which it feeds on.
Status
Common in the tropic Indo-Pacific.
Habitat
West Indo-Pacific to New Caledonia, also in Australia and Japan.
Reproduction
–
Size
Up to 12cm.
Prey / Predation
It feeds on sponges of the Dysideidae family.
Special features
It stores the most distasteful parts of its food in the upward lobe, which acts as a lure for predators. Predators will be chased off by the taste, leaving the vital parts of the nudibranch alone.
