Mastodawn

#NewSpecies!
New sea slug from #taiwan just crawled in:

Thecacera sesama

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0565D6F2-52F5-5D5B-9457-D80709BD65C6
Publication: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1279.184298
#ZooKeys #ThecaceraSesama

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #malacology #nudibranch #slugs #seaslugs

Soh Kam Yung May 5

New from @jgeekstudies

"Sea bunnies retained their presence in the pantheon of kawaii animals, and now they are a common sight in souvenir shops and gashapon machines as well as making a few appearances in anime (Cosmic Princess Kaguya!) and video games (e.g., the mimic snow slugs in Honkai: Star Rail, though other nudibranch inspirations cannot be excluded).""

https://jgeekstudies.org/2026/05/01/a-kawaii-slug-the-sea-bunny-jorunna-parva-in-pop-culture/

#Pop #SeaBunnies #SeaSlugs #Biology #Nature #Culture

A kawaii slug? The sea bunny Jorunna parva in pop culture

Rodrigo B. Salvador1 & Carlo M. Cunha2 1Zoology Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 2Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Po…

Journal of Geek Studies

ScubaHankNYC Feb 15

Chromodoris Annae (Anna’s Magnificent Sea Slug)

Marine Life

Chromodoris annae is one of the most visually striking nudibranchs in the Indo-Pacific. Its electric blue body creates a vivid contrast against the reef—making it a favorite subject for underwater photographers and divers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJgXwrndmSg]

The “right-sided” alignment: As simultaneous hermaphrodites, these nudibranchs align their right sides—where the genital openings sit just behind the rhinophores—to cross-fertilize each other at the same time, an efficient mutual reproductive strategy.

Species Identification

BodyBrilliant blue coloration with a smooth, elongated form and a darker midline dash between the rhinophores.
RhinophoresElongated, often orange to yellow, with a distinct darker dash between them on the mantle.
GillsBranched orange to yellow gills arranged in a plume near the rear of the body.
SizeTypically 40–60 mm in length.
Common NamesAnna’s Magnificent Sea Slug, Chromodoris annae

The specific name annae is thought to honor a person named Anna, although the original description does not extensively document this dedication. Nevertheless, this species lives up to its reputation as a “magnificent” example among nudibranch enthusiasts.

The most distinctive characteristic of Chromodoris annae is its vibrant color pattern. It features a striking blue mantle with a dark midline stripe, flanked by bands of black, white, and orange to yellow. This pattern sets it apart from similar species such as Chromodoris lochi and Chromodoris willani.

The body exhibits a brilliant blue hue that can vary in intensity and may be adorned with tiny dark speckles. Bright orange to yellow gills and rhinophores enhance its high-contrast appearance, making this species particularly photogenic.

Puerto Galera is renowned as one of the premier destinations for nudibranch and macro diving in the Philippines. It boasts healthy reefs, diverse substrates, and dive sites that often yield dozens of species in a single excursion.

These nudibranchs are typically discovered on coral reefs and rocky substrates at depths ranging from approximately 15 to 100 feet, with the most common sightings occurring between 30 and 70 feet. They primarily feed on specific types of sponges, utilizing a radula—a ribbon-like feeding organ equipped with microscopic teeth—to scrape their prey.

#ChromodorisAnnae #marineLife #Nudibranch #seaSlugs

Ryan Hodnett Feb 11

Ragged Seahare (Bursatella leachii)

#SeaSlug #SeaLife #ArtWithOpenSource #CCBYSA #Darktable #MarineLife #Gastropoda #Gastropods #SeaSlugs #Mollusca #Molluscs #Animals #AnimalPhotography #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photo #Photography

Ryan Hodnett Feb 11

Ragged Seahare (Bursatella leachii)

Show thread

JdeBP Jan 16

@cstross

Guillotines might. Missing from the social media discussion of these is that this only happened to young sea slugs. Older ones just died after some days, and did not regenerate their bodies.

https://sciencefocus.com/news/solar-powered-sea-slugs-are-able-detach-their-heads-and-regenerate-a-whole-new-body-within-weeks

So the middle-aged sea slug oligarch/monarch, sitting all green on xyr emerald seaweed throne, is not as safe from the French Revolution as xe might think.

I suppose that now you have an excuse to use '#kleptoplasty' and '#autotomy' in a story. (-:

#SeaSlugs

’Solar-powered sea slugs’ are able detach their heads and regenerate a whole new body within weeks - BBC Science Focus Magazine

The finding is an extreme example of autotomy – an animal’s ability to shed a body part when under threat.

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Weird, Beautiful,unique Nature Dec 22

Nembrotha kubaryana, also known as the variable neon slug or the dusky nembrotha, is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, found in the tropical Western Indo-Pacific, it does not produce its own toxins, it feeds on colonial sea squirts (ascidians) and steals the toxin chemicals from its prey. It has warning colors which serve as deterring the predators but its eyes are simple, only capable of discerning light and dark, meaning it is likely blind to its own vibrant "beware" sign. It has noses on its head.
#weird #seaslugs #marine #animals #nature

DORIS_FFESSM_BioSubaquatique Dec 19

Et un #nudibranche #doridien méditerranée occidentale de plus, qui arrive en galopant... doucement : l'aegires de Cabo de Palos !

COVES Jacques, SITTLER Alain-Pierre, GIRARD Pascal in : #DORIS 19/12/2025 :
Aegires palensis Ortea, Luque & Templado, 1990, https://doris.ffessm.fr/ref/specie/4756

#mollusca #biodiversite #limace #biodiversty #SeaSlugs #ffessm #Heterobranchia

Deborah Makarios Dec 7

"Almost 1,000 Japanese holothuroid haiku translated into English appear in the book Rise, Ye Sea Slugs! by Robin D. Gill."
(from the Wikipedia article on sea cucumbers)

If I am ever compelled to sail the briny blue as a pirate queen, my battle cry shall most assuredly be RISE, YE SEA SLUGS!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_cucumber
#SeaSlugs #SeaCucumbers #haiku #poetry #RiseYeSeaSlugs

Sea cucumber - Wikipedia

Weird, Beautiful,unique Nature Nov 24

The rainbow sea slug, or Babakina anadoni, is a small, vividly colored mollusk, a nudibranch. Found in warm Atlantic waters, known for its bright pink, purple, and yellow hues, it feeds on seaweed, anemones and other sea slugs. They have "cerata" on their backs, which they can use to appear larger when threatened.
Picture: Phil Naylor
#weird #strange #seaslugs #nature