Hear all about it!
Nudibranchs move in the same way as land snails and slugs by sliding along on a muscular foot. They are carnivores and feed on animals that are sedentary (stay in one place). Nudibranchs have two highly sensitive tentacles called rhinophores on top of their head which they use to identify prey.Nudibranchs protect themselves from predators with skin glands that contain chemicals that are either poisonous or distasteful to fish. It is thought the bright colour of the nudibranchs helps the fish to “remember” through association, just how unpalatable they are. Nudibranchs can also use the poisonous chemicals found in their prey for their own body defence.
Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites. This means the animal has both female and male reproductive organs. Mating pairs transfer sperm into each other. The fertilised eggs are then deposited in a coiled mass on a surface in the marine environment. The eggs hatch into larvae, which swim about in the water column until they are ready to settle on the sea bottom. Nudibranchs have a lifespan of usually less than a year and often as little as a month.
Threats include; human disturbance (standing on reef and coral, collecting), pollution and aquarium trade
