Nudibranch molluscs or sea slugs are one of the most colorful and unusually attractive inhabitants of the ocean for underwater photographer. Nudibranchs live in seas worldwide. This group includes some of the most colorful creatures on earth. They breathe through a "naked gill" on their backs.
Chromodoris willani (Rudman, 1982)
Bright coloration warns potential predators that the slugs are distasteful or poisonous.
Bright coloration warns potential predators that the slugs are distasteful or poisonous.
Nembrotha cristata (Bergh, 1877)
Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, but they cannot fertilize themselves.
Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, but they cannot fertilize themselves.
Glossodoris atromarginata (Cuvier, 1804)
Sea slugs lay their eggs on the reef. Egg laying looks like a spiral ribbon.
Sea slugs lay their eggs on the reef. Egg laying looks like a spiral ribbon.
Nembrotha milleri (Gosliner & Behrens, 1997)
Nudibranchs feed on sponges, hydroids, tunicates, bryozoans, and some eat other sea slugs or their eggs.
Nudibranchs feed on sponges, hydroids, tunicates, bryozoans, and some eat other sea slugs or their eggs.
Nembrotha kubaryana (Bergh, 1877)
To protect the prominent rhinophores most species of nudibranchs are able to withdraw their rhinophores into a pocket beneath the skin
To protect the prominent rhinophores most species of nudibranchs are able to withdraw their rhinophores into a pocket beneath the skin
Pleurobranchus peronii (Cuvier, 1804)
Some nudibranchs have no external gills.
Some nudibranchs have no external gills.
Pteraeolidia ianthina (Angas,1864)
In the course of evolution, sea slugs have lost their shell.
In the course of evolution, sea slugs have lost their shell.
Thecacera picta (Baba, 1972)
Nudibranchs live at virtually all depths of salt water, but they reach their greatest size and variation in warm, shallow water
Nudibranchs live at virtually all depths of salt water, but they reach their greatest size and variation in warm, shallow water
Reticulidia halgerda (Brunckhorst & Burn in Brunckhorst, 1990)
Phyllidiopsis sp
Nembrotha chamberlaini (Gosliner & Behrens, 1997)
On the photo: Nudibranch is eating sea squirts.
On the photo: Nudibranch is eating sea squirts.
Chromodoris geminus (Rudman, 1987)
Hexabranchus sanguineus (Rueppell et Leuckart, 1828)
Flabellina exoptata (Gosliner & Willan, 1991)
Nudibranchs that feed on hydroids can store the hydroids' nematocysts (stinging cells) in the dorsal body wall, the cerata.
Nudibranchs that feed on hydroids can store the hydroids' nematocysts (stinging cells) in the dorsal body wall, the cerata.
Chromodoris lochi (Rudman, 1982)
Dendronotus frondosus
Some of them live in cold waters of Arctic ocean
Some of them live in cold waters of Arctic ocean
Archidoris pseudoargus
