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40 thumb California Sea Slugs - Nudibranchs (and other marine Heterobranchia) of California

While land slugs are slimy and eat your vegetables, sea slugs are colorful and awesome. And we have a bunch of them in California. Hooray. This guide currently covers the common nudibranchs, sea hares, sapsucking slugs, and other marine Heterobranchia of our coast, including several non-native ...more ↓

Small
Spotted Rictaxis 1
Rictaxis punctocaelatus
Small
Doto form A of Goddard (1996) (undescribed) 2
Doto
Small
Hammerhead Doto 3
Doto amyra
Small
British Columbia Doto 4
Doto columbiana
Small
Dark Doto 2
Doto kya
Small
Lance's Doto 5
Doto lancei
Small
White Dendronotus 6
Dendronotus albus
Small
Rainbow Nudibranch 7
Dendronotus iris
Small
Dendronotus orientalis 8
Small
Stubby Frond-aeolis 2
Dendronotus subramosus
Small
Branched Dendronotus 9
Dendronotus venustus
Small
Hancock's Nudibranch 2
Hancockia californica
Small
Lion's Mane Nudibranch 2
Melibe leonina
Small
Goddard's Aeolid 10
Pacifia goddardi
Small
Spanish Shawl 3
Flabellinopsis iodinea
Small
Cooper's Aeolid 11
Orienthella cooperi
Small
Three-lined Aeolid 2
Orienthella trilineata
Small
Cumanotus sp. of Goddard and Green (2013) (undescribed) 3
Cumanotus
Fernald's Aeolid
Cumanotus fernaldi
Small
Eubranchus species 2 of Behrens and Hermosillo (2005) (undescribed) 12
Eubranchus
Small
Green Balloon Aeolid 1
Eubranchus olivaceus
Small
Homely Aeolid 4
Eubranchus rustyus
Small
Misaki Aeolid 3
Leostyletus misakiensis
Small
Fiona pinnata 13
Small
Graceful Aeolid 3
Abronica abronia
Small
Rose-pink Cuthona 1
Cuthona divae
Small
Hamann's Aeolid 13
Cuthona hamanni
Small
Lake Merritt Cuthona 1
Cuthona perca
Small
Phoenix Aeolid 2
Cuthona phoenix
Small
Roller's Aeolid 14
Cuthona rolleri
Small
Chocolate Aeolid 1
Cuthonella cocoachroma
Small
Doc's Aeolid 4
Catriona rickettsi
Small
Lagoon Sea Slug 15
Tenellia adspersa
Small
White-crusted Aeolid 3
Tenellia albocrusta
Small
British Columbia Aeolid 2
Tenellia columbiana
Small
Yellow-head Aeolid 1
Tenellia flavovulta
Green Aeolid
Trinchesia virens
Small
Shiny Aeolid 1
Zelentia fulgens
Small
Laguna Beach Aeolid 1
Diaphoreolis lagunae
Vrijenhoek's Nudibranch
Ziminella vrijenhoeki
Small
Smooth-tooth Aeolis 3
Apata pricei
Small
Armina californica 16
Small
Thick-horned Nudibranch 3
Hermissenda crassicornis
Small
Opalescent Nudibranch 2
Hermissenda opalescens
Small
Hilton's Aeolid 7
Phidiana hiltoni
Small
Morro Bay Aeolid 17
Emarcusia morroensis
Small
Stearns' Aeolid 12
Austraeolis stearnsi
Small
Red-Headed Aeolid 18
Noumeaella rubrofasciata
Small
Enosima Aeolid 2
Sakuraeolis enosimensis
Undertaker Nudibranch
Aeolidia libitinaria
Small
Aeolidia loui 3
Small
Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch 2
Aeolidia papillosa
Small
Colorful Aeolid 2
Aeolidiella chromosoma
Small
Brown Burrowing Aeolis 19
Cerberilla mosslandica
Small
Olive's Aeolid 3
Anteaeolidiella oliviae
Zeusia herculea
Small
Single-stalk Aeolis 2
Babakina festiva
Small
Ringed Janolus 12
Janolus anulatus
Small
Cockscomb Nudibranch 3
Antiopella barbarensis
Small
White-and-Orange-Tipped Nudibranch 3
Antiopella fusca
Small
White-lined Dirona 2
Dirona albolineata
Small
Colorful Dirona 1
Dirona picta
Small
Diamondback Tritonia 1
Tritonia festiva
Small
Keen's Tritonid 1
Tritonia myrakeenae
Black Tiger Nudibranch
Tritonia nigritigris
Small
Tritonia tetraquetra 5
Small
Giant Orange Tochui 20
Tochuina tetraquetra
Small
Yellow-spotted Cadlina 4
Cadlina flavomaculata
Small
Cadlina limbaughorum 13
Small
Yellow-edged Cadlina 2
Cadlina luteomarginata
Small
Modest Cadlina 3
Cadlina modesta
Small
Dark-spot Cadlina 11
Cadlina sparsa
Small
Aldisa albomarginata 13
Small
Cooper's Aldisa 20
Aldisa cooperi
Small
Blood-spot Dorid 2
Aldisa sanguinea
Small
MacFarland's Chromodorid 3
Felimida macfarlandi
Small
California Blue Dorid 12
Felimare californiensis
Small
Porter's Chromodorid 3
Felimare porterae
Small
Doris tanya 21
Small
Sclerodoris tanya 13
Small
Red Dorid 2
Rostanga pulchra
Small
Heath's Dorid 4
Geitodoris heathi
Small
Diaulula lentiginosa 5
Small
O'Donoghue's Dorid 3
Diaulula odonohuei
Small
San Diego Dorid 3
Diaulula sandiegensis
Small
Mimic Dorid 22
Baptodoris mimetica
Small
Hunchback Doris 19
Atagema alba
Small
Mulliner's Dorid 18
Peltodoris mullineri
Small
Sea Lemon 2
Peltodoris nobilis
Small
Leopard Jorunna 5
Jorunna pardus
Small
Two-spotted Dorid 3
Thordisa bimaculata
Small
Red Thordisa 18
Thordisa rubescens
Small
Chan's Dorid 2
Hallaxa chani
Small
Monterey Dorid 23
Doris montereyensis
Small
Doris odhneri 20
Small
Picken's Dorid 12
Doris pickensi
Small
White Dorid 3
Conualevia alba
Small
Humped Ancula 2
Ancula gibbosa
Small
Ancula lentiginosa 23
Small
Los Angeles Okenia 3
Okenia angelensis

Edited by Ken-ichi Ueda and Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

  • 1. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 2. (c) Robin Agarwal (ANudibranchMom on iNaturalist), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 3. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 4. (c) Robin Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 5. (c) Brenna Green, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 6. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda
  • 7. (c) Ed Bierman, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 8. (c) Robin Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 9. (c) marlin harms, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 10. (c) Dr. Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 11. (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 12. (c) Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 13. (c) jeffhamann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 14. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
  • 15. USGS, no known copyright restrictions (public domain)
  • 16. (c) Minette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 17. (c) lemurdillo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Brenna Green
  • 18. (c) Phil Garner, all rights reserved
  • 19. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 20. (c) Dan Hershman, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 21. (c) John Albers-Mead, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by jam
  • 22. (c) Merry Passage, all rights reserved
  • 23. (c) Marisa Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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