Phyllodesmium crypticum
{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Phyllodesmium crypticum.jpg
| image_caption = Phyllodesmium crypticum from Bitung, North Sulawesi, head end towards the right
| taxon = Phyllodesmium crypticum
| authority = Rudman, 1981Rudman W. B. (1981). "The anatomy and biology of alcyonarian-feeding aeolid opisthobranch molluscs and their development of symbiosis with zooxanthellae". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 72(3): 219-262. {{doi|10.1111/j.1096-3642.1981.tb01571.x}}.
| synonyms =
Phyllodesmium cryptica
}}
Phyllodesmium crypticum is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.Bouchet, P., 2015. [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=548878 Phyllodesmium crypticum Rudman, 1981.] In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-06
Distribution
This species was described from Angourie, northern New South Wales, Australia. It has been reported from Indonesia and the Red Sea.
Description
Phyllodesmium crypticum uses camouflage and looks like the soft coral Xenia amongst which it is normally found. The length of the slug is 45–60 mm. This species contains zooxanthellae and has cerata which have a most distinctive shape. They are dorso-ventrally flattened and quadrangular in cross-section. A row of nodules runs up each of the four edges of the ceras and there are also scattered nodules on the two flat sides.
Ecology
References
{{Commons category|Phyllodesmium crypticum}}
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