Nudibranch

NUDIBRANCH  () , or sea slug, is a MOLLUSC without a shell, and comprises a subclass (Opisthobranchia) of the class Gastropoda, which includes the ABALONE, LIMPET and many other SNAILS. The popular name nudibranchs ("naked gills") refers to the plume-like and tuft-like gill projections of these creatures. There are more than 200 species of nudibranchs in BC waters, exhibiting a spectacular variety of shapes and colours. Nudibranchs prey upon a wide variety of organisms, using specialized tongue-like structures called radulas to "rasp" their food. Species commonly encountered in tidepools and shallow waters include the shaggy mouse nudibranch (Aeolidia papillosa), the orange-spotted or clown nudibranch (Triopha catalinae), the sea lemon (Archidoris montereyensis) and the leopard nudibranch (Diaulula sandiegensis).
by Rick Harbo