About Phyllodesmium crypticum Rudman, 1981
Phyllodesmium crypticum is a species of nudibranch that uses camouflage, and its appearance matches the soft coral Xenia, the organism it is typically found among. This sea slug reaches a total length of 45 to 60 millimeters. This species hosts zooxanthellae, and has cerata with a highly distinctive shape. The cerata are dorso-ventrally flattened and quadrangular in cross-section. A row of nodules runs along each of the four edges of a single ceras, and scattered nodules also appear on the two flat sides of the cerata. This species was first described from Angourie, located in northern New South Wales, Australia. It has also been recorded from Indonesia and the Red Sea. In its ecology, Phyllodesmium crypticum feeds on Xenia soft coral.
