Cyerce elegans

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Sacoglossa
Family: Caliphyllidae
Genus: Cyerce
Species: Cyerce elegans

Cyerce elegans is a sacoglossan, or sap-sucking sea slug, that feeds on algae. It is large compared to most sea slugs and can look just like a rose.

Its cerata are broad and flat like flower petals, translucent with a pink to purple hue and tiny blue spots. The tube-like rhinophores are often the only way to tell the front from the back. When bothered, Cyerce can drop cerata and release a smoke-like mucus.

In the Philippines this species is mainly found at night, and it often stays in the same area for a good while.

If you find one at night, get your shot quickly. It retreats from dive lights and heads back under its rock to hide, so use a dim or red focus light if you can.

It appears on page 321 of Nudibranchs of the Philippines.

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