Pink Flatworm

Pink Flatworm
Prostheceraeus Roseus

A vivid ribbon of rose and violet, this flatworm carries a series of fine white lines lengthwise across its body, with a crisp pale border tracing the entire edge. Two small magenta folds rise at the front like understated horns, while the softly rippled margins give the otherwise flat body a constant sense of movement. It glides over the reef with such effortless smoothness that, for a moment, it barely seems to touch the surface at all.

• Size: Up to around 30 mm
• Range: Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic; from Portugal and Spain south to Senegal, including Madeira and the Canary Islands
• Habitat / Depth: Rocky reefs, walls and hard substrates, often around sponges, bryozoans and tunicates, from shallow water to around 50 m
• Diet: Feeds primarily on small ascidians, particularly Pycnoclavella species