Ringed Sapsucking Slug

Plakobranchus ocellatus is a species of sea slug, a sacoglossan, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Plakobranchidae.

Description

The body is broad, truncate, and rather flattened, up to 4 cm long. The ground colour is usually pale green, beige, or cream with large ocelli (spots similar to eyespots) of cream, brown, pink, and purple in varying shades. The sole of the foot also has ocelli.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indo-Pacific. Recent work on the photosynthetic abilities of Plakobranchus reveals that P. ocellatus is actually a species complex consisting of at least four distinct clades.

Habitat

These seaslugs live in sheltered, shallow water habitats with stones or gravel and silt. They feed on a broad food spectrum, including members of the genera Halimeda, Caulerpa, Udotea, Acetabularia and further unidentified algae, with an emphasis on Halimeda macroloba.