Blue dragon, Pteroeolidia semperi (P. ianthina is a temperate Australian species)We took an underwater photography trip to the Philippines in December 2016. We returned in November 2024.
NOTE: We love nudibranchs, but we are not experts on these animals. If you find something we have misidentified or can identify something we couldn't, email us and we will correct it.
Nudibranchs are soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs that shed their shells after their larval stage. "Nudibranch" means "naked gills". There are two main kinds of nudibranchs, aeolid nudibranchs and dorid nudibranchs, and two less-common kinds, dendronotids and arminids.
Aeolids have cerata, no bronchial plume, no mantle, and may have zooxanthellae. Lacking separate gills, respiration takes place thorough their cerata, which contain branches of the digestive tractwhich transport nematocysts acquired from coelenterate prety to the ceratal tips, where they are stored and used for the nudibranch's own defense.
Blue dragon, Pteroeolidia semperi (P. ianthina is a temperate Australian species)
Striated cratena, Cratena cf lineata
Bicolor flabellina, Flabellina bicolor
Desirable flabellina coryphellina), Flabellina (Coryphellina) exoptata
Facelina sp.?
Yellow-ring (Yellow-masked) trichesia, Trichesia sp.
Ringed favorinus, Favorinis tsuruganus
Wonderful (Red) favorinus, Favorinus mirabilis
Yellow-tipped phyllodesmium, Phyllodesmium briareum
Cryptic phyllodesmium, Phyllodesmium crypticum
Dorids, the most common variety of nudibranchs, have a bronchial plume (gills) and mantle. They eat sponges, tunicates, bryozoans, or other opisthobranchs.
Shaggy (Pink) Aegires, Aegires sp.
Pimpled phyllidiella, Phyllidiella pustulosa
Shireen's phyllidiopsis, Phyllidiopsis shireenae
Ocellated phyllidia, Phyllidia ocellata
Swollen phyllidia, Phyllidia varicosa
Painted phyllidia, Phyllidia picta
Hairy Norse god, Aegires villosus
Anna's chromodoris, Chromodoris annae
Elisabeth's chromodoris, Chromodoris elizabethina
Magnificent chromodoris, Chromodoris magnificata
Striated chromodoris, Chromodoris strigata
Chromodoris hamiltoni
Loch's chromodoris, Chromodoris lochi
Willan's chromodoris, Chromodoris willani
Anne's phyllidiopsis, Phyllidiopsis annae
Diana's chromodoris, Chromodoris dianae
Bus-stop chromodoris, Chromodoris hintuanensis
Kunie's chromodoris (goniobranchus), Chromodoris (Goniobranchus) kuniei
Two-band goniobranchus (chromodoris), Goniobranchus (Chromodoris) verrieri
Reticukated (Spotted) goniobranchus (chromodoris), Goniobranchus (Chromodoris) reticulata
Geometric nudibranch (chromodoris, goniobranchus), Goniobranchus (Chromodoris) geometricus
Girdled glossodoris, Glossodoris cincta
Dark margin glossodoris, Glossodoris atromarginata
Tryon's risbecia, Risbecia tryoni
White-dotted polycera, Polycera sp.
Chamberlain's nembrotha, Nembrotha chamberlaini
Nembrotha purpureolineata
Lined neon slug, Nembrotha lineolata
Miller's nembrotha, Nembrotha milleri
Crested nembrotha, Nembrotha cristata
Kubaryana's nembrotha (variable neon slug), Nembrotha kubaryana
Emma's hypselodoris, Hypselodoris emma
Decorated hypselodoris, Hypselodoris decorata
Batangas halgerda, Halgerda batangas
Funeral Jorunna, Jorunna funebris
Allen's ceratosoma (miamira), Ceratosoma (Miamira) alleni
Dendronotid nudibranchs have branching paired sets of gill structures in rows along both sides of the mantle, and long sheathed rhonophores:
Regal dendronotus, Dendronotus regius
Grape doto, Doto ussi
Blotched-face doto, Doto sp.
Arminid nudibranchs have bulbous-tipped rhinophores and an oral veil at the front of the head. Most have stripes running the length of the mantle and gills beneath the mantle skirt. We did not photograph any of these here.
Nudibranch eggs:
Related animals:
Pleurobranchs (sidegill slugs) have feather-like gills hidden under the right side of their mantle skirt, and rolled rhinophores:
Apricot sidegill slug, Berthellina delicata (citrina)
Head-shield slugs have a shield-shaped head but lack true rhinophores:
White-margin Sagaminopteron, Sagaminopteron nigropunctatum (ornatum)
Sea hares have rolled rhinophores, a pair of oral tentacles, and a pair of large skin flaps on their backs (parapodia). We did not photograph any of these here.
Sapsucking slugs (sacoglossids) have rolled rhinophores and are mostly green:
Kuro sapsucking slug, Costaciello kuroshimae
Elegant sapsucking slug (elegant butterfly slug, elegant cyerce), Cyerce elegans
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Last modified 11 December 2024