Crawly Things

Images of Nudibranchs

Nudibranchs are the marine equivalent of terrestrial slugs. In other words, they are shell-less snails. They come in a wild assortment of colors and shapes; and vary in size from near-microscopic to about a foot in length. Most nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, that is, they possess both male and female reproductive organs, usually on one side of the body. Mating is accomplished by the animals positioning themselves side to side with heads opposite, and simultaneously donating and receiving sperm. The fertilized eggs are then deposited on a suitable structure (often rock, algae, hydroids, etc.), and the larvae swim off after hatching.

 

You may also view these images using a sorted list of species.


 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Tochuina tetraquetra

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

on Fluted Bryozoan

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis

(formerly Anisodoris nobilis)

 

Phideana hiltoni

 

 

 

Phideana hiltoni

 

 

 

Phideana hiltoni

 

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis

in Corynactis californica colony

 

 

Doriopsilla albopunctata

and Corynactis californica anemone

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis

and sea star

 

 

Dendronotus iris

 

 

 

Doriopsilla albopunctata mating group

with egg mass

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Flabellina iodinea

 

 

 

Diaulula sandiegensis

on Rainbow Star

 

 

Flabellina iodinea

 

 

 

Tritonia festiva

 

 

 

Flabellina trilineata and egg mass

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Tritonia festiva

and egg mass

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

on fluted bryozoan

 

 

Flabellina trilineata

 

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis and egg mass

 

 

 

Dendronotus albus

 

 

 

Lamacia cockerelli (formerly Laila cockerelli), right;

and dock shrimp, left

 

 

Diaulula sandiegensis egg mass

 

 

 

Flabellina trilineata

on Chestnut Cowries

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Flabellina trilineata

and Chestnut Cowry

 

Dendronotus iris

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

on tube worm

 

Dendronotus iris

on Tube Anemone

 

Armina californica

Aeolidia papillosa

Cadlina luteomarginata

 

 

Tochuina tetraquetra

 

 

Conualevia alba

 

 

Dendronotus iris

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis

and Red Sea Star

 

 

Dendronotus albus

 

 

 

Acanthodoris hudsoni

 

 

Doris montereyensis

 

 

 

Triopha catalinae

 

 

Geitodoris heathi

 

 

 

Aegires albopunctatus

 

 

 

Onchidoris bilamellata

 

 

 

Doriopsilla albopunctata and egg mass

on Swell Shark egg case

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

 

Rostanga pulchra

 

 

Doris montereyensis

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis

 

 

Acanthodoris lutea (mating pair)

 

Diaulula sandiegensis

 

 

Geitodoris heathi, mating

 

 

Flabellina trilineata

 

 

Dendronotus albus

on Grey Puffball Sponge

 

Geitodoris heathi and egg mass

under Rainbow Star

 

 

Acanthodoris lutea

 

 

Dendronotus iris on tube anemone

 

 

 

Berthella californica

 

 

 

Flabellina iodinea and dock shrimp

 

 

Acanthodoris lutea

 

 

Flabellina trilineata

 

 

Dendronotus albus

 

 

Dendronotus diversicolor

 

 

Berthella californica

 

 

Dendronotus albus

 

 

Limacia cockerelli

(and fingertip)

 

Berthella californica laying eggs

 

 

Berthella californica

 

 

Tochuina tetraquetra

 

 

Cadlina modesta

 

 

Doris montereyensis

 

 

Geitodoris heathi

 

 

Cadlina luteomarginata

 

 

Doris odhneri

 

 

Diaulula sandiegensis

 

 

Diaulula sandiegensis on sponge

 

 

Dendronotus diversicolor

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

Cadlina flavomaculata

 

 

Doriopsilla albopunctata and bat star

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis

 

 

Acanthodoris hudsoni mating pair

 

 

Aegires albopunctata

 

 

Adalaria jannae

 

 

 

Adalaria jannae

 

 

 

Triopha catalinae

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

Flabellina iodinea

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

Triopha catalinae

 

 

Tritonia festiva

 

 

Acanthodoris hudsoni

 

 

Cadlina flavomaculata

 

 

Diaulula sandiegensis

 

 

Cadlina flavomaculata

 

 

Cadlina luteomarginata

 

 

Doris odhneri

 

 

Doris montereyensis

 

 

Limacia cockerelli

 

 

Rostanga pulchra

 

 

Geitodoris heathi

 

 

Acanthodoris hudsoni

 

 

Doris montereyensis

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis pre-mating behavior

 

 

Tritonia festiva

 

 

Limacia cockerelli

 

 

Triopha catalinae on Fluted Bryozoan

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis laying eggs

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis and Hermissenda crassicornis

 

 

Dendronotus albus

 

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

 

Diaphorodoris lirolatocauda

 

 

 

Hermissenda crassicornis laying eggs

 

 

 

Diaphorodoris lirolatocauda

 

 

 

Limacia cockerelli

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

Geitodoris heathi; 2 color phases mating

 

 

Acanthodoris hudsoni

 

 

Acanthodoris hudsoni

 

 

Limacia cockerelli

 

 

Peltodoris nobilis and Blue Ring topsnail

 

 

Chromodoris macfarlandi

 

 

Polycera atra

 

 

Dirona albolineata

 

 

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