Nature of the Nudies!

With over 3,000 species found worldwide and having a lifespan of only about one year, the flamboyant nudibranch is a species of sea slug you can’t miss… but you might! Some nudibranchs can be only a quarter of an inch long, but they are almost always sure to have a colorful display for divers to adore. Nudibranchs are named after the word nudus, Latin for ‘naked,’ and the greek bránkhia meaning ‘gills’. This means that their branchial plumes are kind of like our lungs… but outside their bodies! Nudibranchs can be found all over the world from the warm tropics to the poles. One cool thing about them is that some species can actually consume hydrozoids, animals that have stinging cells kind of like jellyfish, and they can pass their through digestive systems and use them as a defense mechanism, too!

What’s your favorite species of nudibranch?

Image: PeerJ