Nudibranch
ABOUT
Nudibranchs are a group of sea slugs that live worldwide and are known for their striking colors. Their name comes from Latin, where “nudus” means naked and “bránkhia” means gills, which makes sense because they are the only species of sea slugs that don’t have a shell and lose it after the larval stage of their lives. They live in practically all waters, ranging from shallow shore waters (where the greatest variety is found) to depths near 2,500 m (8,200 ft.), where only one nudibranch species was discovered.
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Length: 4 to 600 mm (0.16 to 23.62 in)
Life Span: range from a few weeks to a year
Distribution: seas worldwide
Population size: about 3,000 valid species
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FUN FACT
Two species of nudibranchs are known to make sounds audible to humans (Tritonia arborescens and Facelina annulicornis). The sound is similar to the clink of a metal wire on a glass surface at identical intervals, resembling a clock. They are observed to do so only while feeling comfortable and moving.
Nudibranchs get their abilities from eating their prey, but contrary to what many people think not all nudi’s incorporate cells from the organisms they eat. They are immune to almost all toxins and stings because of their coat of mucus, and they often prefer to eat highly toxic sponges, anemones, and even jellyfish (example: the aeolid nudibranches). Later, they can retain their prey’s toxins and keep the stinging cells of animals they’ve eaten in their backs for defense, becoming inedible to their own would-be predators. Others eat algae, and by consuming their chloroplasts, cells with chlorophyll in them, they sustain themselves by farming these cells and living on photosynthesis (they are called kleptoplasts).
MATING
Nudi’s are simultaneous hermaphrodites, meaning that every mature individual is both male and female, and they can mate with anyone but cannot fertilize themselves all alone. They are known to have a dance-like ritual, and after that, they lay eggs looking like a ribbon, which, depending on the individual, can range from 1 to as many as an estimated 25 million. The eggs contain a toxin from sea sponges to protect them, and the little ones hatch looking almost identical to their parents.
So that was it! – Now you know more about the Nudibranchs. I hope you learned a lot regarding the spectacular wildlife on our planet with The Wildlife Echo!
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