costasiella-formicaria-a94a.jpg

Costasiella formicaria from Midway Attol, May 30, 1993 (http://seaslugsofhawaii.com/species/Costasiella-formicaria-a.html)

"Identification: This animal has a cream body frosted with dusky gray and flecked with white. The gray pigment is densest on the edges of the rhinophores and head but varies in intensity and distribution. In all animals, it forms a transverse line just behind the closely spaced eye spots. The branches of the digestive gland in the cerata range from olive green to golden brown, again with variation in intensity.

Natural history: Costasiella formicaria is a rare species known from three animals found in highly protected to moderately exposed locations. The one Maui animal came from a moderately exposed rocky area at 3-7 m (10-28 ft). Its cerata are readily autotomized."

http://seaslugsofhawaii.com/species/Costasiella-formicaria-a.html

Photographer: Fiene, Pauline. Publisher: Vendetti, Jann.