WahFo, Animal of the day (105)
Today’s feature is a whole family of 3,000+ species, the Nudibranchs. Truly beautiful, they are small sea slugs recognizable by the exposed gills on their back, and they come in virtually every color and combination of colors. Some are poisonous while others pretend to be poisonous with their vibrant colors. Some feed on stinging cells of hydrozoans and store them in the rear of their body for protection. Some ingest toxins from sponges and become toxic and inedible. Some even produce their own chemicals.
#Wahnimals #animals #nature #nudibranch
(📸: see Alt Text)Picture of a nudibranch, scientific name Goniobranchus kuniei, exploring the sea floor. It is a kind of sea slug that can reach 44 mm. The body is elongate with a foot which is distinct from the upper body by a skirt like mantle partially hiding the foot. This animal has a pattern of dark purple spots with pale blue haloes surrounding them, on a creamy mantle. There is a double border to the mantle of purple and blue. The top of the back's cream color is replaced but a yellowish cream. The rhinophores, which look like two antennas on top of the head, and the gills, looking like a few bushes protruding from the top of the lower back, are cream colored. (Photo Credit: q phia / flickr)
Picture of a nudibranch, scientific name Flabellina affinis, exploring the sea floor. It is a kind of sea slug that can grow to a length of 50 mm. It is semi-translucent and mostly purple. The rhinophores, which look like two antennas on top of the head, have white tips. Its back is covered in several bunches of tendrils, each with a red line going through them and a white tip. Its face somewhat resembles the one of a boar in shape, with two long tendrils coming out of the nose, also ending in white tips. (Photo Credit: Unknown)
Picture of a nudibranch, scientific name Chromodoris dianae, exploring the sea floor. It is a kind of sea slug that can reach a length of 40 mm. The body is elongate with a foot which is distinct from the upper body by a skirt-like mantle partially hiding the foot. It is mostly light blue in color, with a lighter hue around the edge of the "skirt," and a few black marks on its back. The rhinophores, which look like two antennas on top of the head, and the gills, looking like a few bushes protruding from the top of the lower back, are light blue with distinct yellow-orange tips. (Photo Credit: Ryan Photographic)
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