Our #OceanAnimalOfTheMonth for September is the Nudibranch, a sea slug that is as colourful as it is fascinating 🐌🌈
These shell-less mollusks boast some of the most intricate and vibrant patterns found in the ocean and derive their colouring from their diet, allowing for excellent camouflage. Some nudibranchs can even swallow the foul-tasting poisons of their prey and then secrete it as a defence mechanism!
With over 2,000 known species, nudibranchs are found throughout the world's oceans but are most abundant in shallow, tropical waters. They're carnivores that spend their short lives slowly grazing on algae, sponges, anemones, corals, and sometimes other nudibranchs. To identify prey, they have two highly sensitive rhinophores on top of their heads.
Fast facts about nudibranchs:
🗣️ Pronounced "new-dih-bronk"
📏 Range from 0.25 to 12 inches in length
📖 Their scientific name, nudibranchia, means naked gills
