favored sponge.
Nudibranchs ( meaning naked - gill and pronounced NUDI BRANKS) are Sea slugs belonging to the class Gastropoda and are always a popular creature for divers to look out for.
the animals body
They have soft bodies and in many cases are extremely colourful ranging in size from microscopic to almost two feet long !
They can be found in all our oceans throughout the world at all depths with many remaining undescribed. For more information about the biology of Nudibranchs please visit our Marine Biology Sea Slug page.
When pointing out Nudi's during training dives for novices one of the most frequently asked questions is what do they eat ?? Sea slugs consume a wide variety of foods from Brozoans, Hydroids, Alge and even each other !!
top of their head help locate food.
The most common slugs encountered by divers are from the family Chromodoris they are mainly sponge feeders and represent some of the most colorful of all the families.
On a recent dive we captured some interesting,
We thought this post might interest marine enthusiasts and help them better understand the way Nudi's eat.
As you can see in the first image, the mouth opening extends and it is literally hoovering up the living tissue of the sponge leaving only the white skeleton behind.
Knowing the food source can help identify a species as coloration is often variable.
We have compiled a photographic Sea Slug Field Guide to assist divers in identifying their Nudibranch find, it is presented like a free book for all to use.
