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.
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Tochuina tetraquetra
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Hermissenda crassicornis
on Fluted Bryozoan
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Peltodoris nobilis
(formerly Anisodoris nobilis)
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Phideana hiltoni
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Phideana hiltoni
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Phideana hiltoni
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Peltodoris nobilis
in Corynactis californica colony
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Doriopsilla albopunctata
and Corynactis californica anemone
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Peltodoris nobilis
and sea star
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Dendronotus iris
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Doriopsilla albopunctata mating group
with egg mass
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Flabellina iodinea
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Diaulula sandiegensis
on Rainbow Star
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Flabellina iodinea
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Tritonia festiva
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Flabellina trilineata and egg mass
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Tritonia festiva
and egg mass
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Hermissenda crassicornis
on fluted bryozoan
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Flabellina trilineata
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Peltodoris nobilis and egg mass
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Dendronotus albus
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Lamacia cockerelli (formerly Laila cockerelli), right;
and dock shrimp, left
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Diaulula sandiegensis egg mass
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Flabellina trilineata
on Chestnut Cowries
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Flabellina trilineata
and Chestnut Cowry
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Dendronotus iris
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Hermissenda crassicornis
on tube worm
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Dendronotus iris
on Tube Anemone
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Armina californica
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Aeolidia papillosa
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Cadlina luteomarginata
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Tochuina tetraquetra
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Conualevia alba
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Dendronotus iris
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Peltodoris nobilis
and Red Sea Star
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Dendronotus albus
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Acanthodoris hudsoni
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Doris montereyensis
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Triopha catalinae
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Geitodoris heathi
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Aegires albopunctatus
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Onchidoris bilamellata
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Doriopsilla albopunctata and egg mass
on Swell Shark egg case
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Rostanga pulchra
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Doris montereyensis
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Peltodoris nobilis
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Acanthodoris lutea (mating pair)
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Diaulula sandiegensis
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Geitodoris heathi, mating
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Flabellina trilineata
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Dendronotus albus
on Grey Puffball Sponge
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Geitodoris heathi and egg mass
under Rainbow Star
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Acanthodoris lutea
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Dendronotus iris on tube anemone
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Berthella californica
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Flabellina iodinea and dock shrimp
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Acanthodoris lutea
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Flabellina trilineata
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Dendronotus albus
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Dendronotus diversicolor
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Berthella californica
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Dendronotus albus
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Limacia cockerelli
(and fingertip)
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Berthella californica laying eggs
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Berthella californica
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Tochuina tetraquetra
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Cadlina modesta
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Doris montereyensis
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Geitodoris heathi
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Cadlina luteomarginata
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Doris odhneri
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Diaulula sandiegensis
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Diaulula sandiegensis on sponge
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Dendronotus diversicolor
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Cadlina flavomaculata
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Doriopsilla albopunctata and bat star
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Peltodoris nobilis
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Acanthodoris hudsoni mating pair
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Aegires albopunctata
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Adalaria jannae
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Adalaria jannae
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Triopha catalinae
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Flabellina iodinea
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Triopha catalinae
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Tritonia festiva
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Acanthodoris hudsoni
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Cadlina flavomaculata
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Diaulula sandiegensis
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Cadlina flavomaculata
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Cadlina luteomarginata
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Doris odhneri
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Doris montereyensis
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Limacia cockerelli
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Rostanga pulchra
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Geitodoris heathi
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Acanthodoris hudsoni
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Doris montereyensis
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Hermissenda crassicornis pre-mating behavior
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Tritonia festiva
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Limacia cockerelli
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Triopha catalinae on Fluted Bryozoan
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Hermissenda crassicornis laying eggs
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Hermissenda crassicornis
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Peltodoris nobilis and Hermissenda crassicornis
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Dendronotus albus
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Dirona albolineata
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Dirona albolineata
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Dirona albolineata
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Dirona albolineata
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Diaphorodoris lirolatocauda
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Hermissenda crassicornis laying eggs
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Diaphorodoris lirolatocauda
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Limacia cockerelli
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Dirona albolineata
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Dirona albolineata
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Geitodoris heathi; 2 color phases mating
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Acanthodoris hudsoni
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Acanthodoris hudsoni
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Limacia cockerelli
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Peltodoris nobilis and Blue Ring topsnail
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Chromodoris macfarlandi
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Polycera atra
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Dirona albolineata
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