Hallaxa cryptica Gosliner & Johnson, 1994

Hallaxa cryptica is a relatively common species at Kwajalein and Enewetak Atolls. Size ranges to at least 30mm in length.

Most specimens are found under rocks on shallow lagoon pinnacle reefs with the animals almost invariably on their food sponge, which they closely resemble.

Color is usually the cream to light tan colors as shown above, but occasionally specimens feeding on a purple variety of the same sponge take on purple coloration, both in their bodies and in their egg masses, a little bit of which is seen in the lower part and upper left corner of the photo below.

Created 15 December 2006
Updated 28 November 2008