Asteronotus mimeticus is a very cryptic dorid having following
characteristics :
- the body ranges in colour from brown to yellowish to grey
- the mantle is very variable : it can be smooth, with tubercles or with papillae
- sometimes there can be some white spots on the mantle
- the rhinophores
and gills are difficult to see
This species is mainly recognisable from the sponge it is living and feeding
on : Carteriospongia and Phyllospongia lamellosa. You have to
look for the animals on the underside of these sponges.
Asteronotus mimeticus is very similar to Asteronotus
spongicolus. Here is how to distinguish them :
- A. spongicolus has an elongated body with median pale line on the
mantle
- A. mimeticus has an oval body without any median line
