Wonders of the sea, the nudibranchs

Normally when people think of the word slug, they think of something slimy and under sirable, but that is not the case when it comes to the under water world. Let me introduce you to the nudibranchs
The nudibranchs are mollusks in the class gastropoda, which includes snails, slugs,limpets and sea hairs.
Many gastropods have a shell. Nudibranchs have a shell in their larval stage, but it disappaers on the adult form.
There are over 3000 species and new species are still discovered. Their lenght varies from a few millimeters to 12 inches long and they can weight up to just over 3 pounds.
You can find them all over the world, in all oceans from cold to warm water

They are considered the most beautiful creatures of the sea as they move very slowly, they are very populair among photographers.
They come in a wide variety of colors and shapes, many have brightly colored stripes or spots and flamboyant appendages on their head and back.

The coloration is useful for more than just a pretty photo. The colors are used for camouflage but also to warn predators of the poison that lies within.
Bright colors warn predators that these nudibranch would make a bad meal because they are armed with toxins and other defense.
They use their cerata for defense.

The nudibranchs spend their time sliding on their bellies around their habitat.
They used their tentacles on their head to poke around for grub.
They can see light and dark, but not their own brilliant colloration.

These beautiful animals don't live long, some live up to a year, but some only for a few weeks.

Nudibranchs eat by using a radula. They are carnivorous, so their prey includes sponges, corals, anemones, fihs eggs and other nudibranchs.

During my dives all over the world, I have seen many of these beautiful animals. But I still miss over more than 2000 species, so let's go diving.