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Nudibranchs (Sea Slugs)

Phylum Mollusca

Nudibranchs are colourful—sometimes spectacular—favourites of tidepool explorers and divers. Many species have a retractable plume-like gill projection or numerous cerata (protrusions), shaped like fingers, paddles or clubs. Some also have papillae (finger-like projections) or tubercles (bumps) on the body for respiration, camouflage and defence.

Dorid Nudibranchs

Features include flattened body, retractable gill plume and rhinophores (paired sensory organs on the head). Dorids lay lacy ribbons of eggs.

Spotted Leopard Dorid

Diaulula odonoghuei

To 3” (7.5 cm) long. Elongated oval body with fine tubercles (bumps). Dark brown spots, solid or occasionally ring-shaped, that extend onto the mantle margin. On rocks and sponges, intertidal to 115’ (35 m) deep. D. sandiegensis is more humped and has only a few dark rings or spots on body, found on open coast.

Monterey Sea Lemon

Doris montereyensis

To 6” (15 cm) long. Slender. Yellow to orange; scattered dark tubercles (bumps). Gills yellow colour. Feeds on sponges. Usually intertidal, but subtidal to 165’ (50 m) deep.

Red Nudibranch

Rostanga pulchra

To 5/8” (1.5 cm) long. Oval. Red-orange, sometimes with brown to black spots. Lays red ribbons of eggs and feeds on the velvety red sponge (p. 77). Intertidal and shallow subtidal, to 65’ (20 m).

Clown Dorid

Triopha catalinae

To 6” (15 cm) long. Slender body. White with orange on rhinophores (paired sensory organs on the head), front veil, tubercles (bumps) and gill plume. Feeds on spiral bryozoans (p. 83). Intertidal to 115’(35 m) deep.

Noble Sea Lemon

Doris nobilis