Roboastra nikolai

Roboastra nikolai is a snail species from the Polyceridae family.

Description

The green or yellow body surface is wrinkled with several darker stripes on the notum and sometimes both sides of the body. Rhinophores have a complex pattern of dark blue/violet, green and whitish coloration. The gill branches are dark blue/violet at the tip and whitish and green at the base. There is also a dark blue/violet coloration on the tip of the oral tentacle, the posterior end of the body and sometimes on the posterior foot midway from the gill and the end. The oral tentacles are smooth, cylindrical, project in front of the head, very well developed and dorsolaterally grooved. They are found in all members of Roboastra and are probably important in tracking down their prey, perhaps by following its mucus trail.

Distribution

Indo-Pacific Ocean from Madagascar and the Maldives to Papua New Guinea.

Habitat and Biology

It is found on coral and rocky reef. It feeds on other species of nudibranch.