The crazed nudibranch, Corambe sp., as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of sea slug

Slug

Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

, a dorid

Doridacea

Doridacea is a taxonomic grouping of dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks. included in the clade Euctenidiacea of the clade Nudibranchia.- Taxonomy :*Superfamily Doridoidea**Family Dorididae**Family Actinocyclidae...

 nudibranch

Nudibranch

A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...

, a marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusc in the superfamily Onchidoridoidea

Onchidoridoidea

Onchidoridoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of colorful sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks.-Families:Families within the superfamily Onchidoridoidea are based on the taxonomy by Bouchet & Rocroi as follows:...

. It is also known as the moss animal nudibranch because its usual prey is a bryozoan, or moss animal. As at November 2009, it remained undescribed by science.

Distribution

This species is probably endemic to the South African coast and is found off the western shore of False Bay in 10-20 m of water.

Description

The crazed nudibranch is a very small (less than 10mm) round nudibranch, which is extremely well camouflaged to match the bryozoan it preys on. Its rhinophores and gill

Gill

A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...

s are hardly visible and its body is covered with opaque lines.

Ecology

The crazed nudibranch feeds on the rectangular membranous lace animal

Membranipora membranacea

Membranipora membranacea is a very widely distributed species of marine bryozoan known from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, usually in temperate zone environments. This bryozoan is a colonial organism characterized by a thin, mat-like encrustation, white to gray in color...

, Membranipora membranacea, which lives on broad bladed kelp

Kelp

Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera....

. Its egg mass is a well camouflaged broad flat spiral.