Costasiella
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| Costasiella | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Costasiella kuroshimae on Avrainvillea erecta. Locality: Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. The length of the slug is about 1 cm. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Family: | Costasiellidae |
| Genus: | Costasiella Pruvot-Fol, 1951[1] |
| Type species | |
| Costasiella virescens Pruvot-Fol, 1951 | |
Costasiella is a genus of sacoglossan sea slugs, a shell-less marine opisthobranchid gastropod mollusk in the family Costasiellidae.[2] The Costasiella is defined by some specific characteristics such as smooth rhinophores which are usually simple with dull tips and flattened at their base.[3][4] Other features include rounded, tentacular anterior foot corners that exhibit their spatulate shape to enhance mobility and blade-shaped radular teeth with substantially short bases.[3][4] Most of the genus could be found within the tropical and subtropical regions of the Western Pacific oceans.[4] Their preferred habitats include areas of soft, muddy sediments around intertidal zones.[3][4] Their diets vary from species to species but generally consume various types of green algae, more commonly the Vaucheria and Avrainvillea.[3][4]
The most recent diagnosis of the genus Costasiella is by the Dutch malacologist Cornelis Kees Swennen (2007).[4]