About Antiopella capensis (Bergh, 1907)
Antiopella capensis, commonly called the Cape silvertip nudibranch, grows up to 40 millimetres in total length. It has a pale body, with cerata that range in colour from dark to tan, all with white tips. Its rhinophores are white and rolled. The rhinophores are separated from each other by an opaque white spherical structure of unknown function called the rhinophoral crest. This species is endemic to the South African coast, and is only found between Saldanha Bay and East London, ranging from the intertidal border down to at least 40 metres in depth. This nudibranch species feeds on moss animals, specifically bryozoans such as Menipea triseriata and Onchoporella buskii. Its typical egg mass is globular and convoluted, with numerous eggs contained in each capsule. However, the egg ribbon of the medallion silvertip, a form of this species, is diagnostic: it forms a flat spiral of capsules that each contain only 5 to 7 eggs.
