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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
Diaphana californica 1
Small
Spotted Rictaxis 2
Rictaxis punctocaelatus
Small
Doto form A of Goddard (1996) (undescribed) 3
Doto
Small
Hammerhead Doto 4
Doto amyra
Small
British Columbia Doto 5
Doto columbiana
Small
Dark Doto 3
Doto kya
Small
Lance's Doto 6
Doto lancei
Small
White Dendronotus 7
Dendronotus albus
Small
Rainbow Nudibranch 8
Dendronotus iris
Small
Dendronotus orientalis 9
Small
Stubby Frond-aeolis 3
Dendronotus subramosus
Small
Branched Dendronotus 10
Dendronotus venustus
Small
Hancock's Nudibranch 3
Hancockia californica
Small
Lion's Mane Nudibranch 3
Melibe leonina
Small
Goddard's Aeolid 11
Pacifia goddardi
Small
Spanish Shawl 12
Flabellinopsis iodinea
Small
Cooper's Aeolid 13
Orienthella cooperi
Small
Three-lined Aeolid 3
Orienthella trilineata
Small
Cumanotus sp. of Goddard and Green (2013) (undescribed) 4
Cumanotus
Fernald's Aeolid
Cumanotus fernaldi
Small
Eubranchus species 2 of Behrens and Hermosillo (2005) (undescribed) 14
Eubranchus
Small
Green Balloon Aeolid 2
Eubranchus olivaceus
Small
Homely Aeolid 5
Eubranchus rustyus
Small
Misaki Aeolid 4
Leostyletus misakiensis
Small
Fiona pinnata 15
Small
Graceful Aeolid 16
Abronica abronia
Small
Rose-pink Cuthona 2
Cuthona divae
Small
Cuthona hamanni 15
Small
Lake Merritt Cuthona 2
Cuthona perca
Small
Phoenix Aeolid 3
Cuthona phoenix
Small
Roller's Aeolid 17
Cuthona rolleri
Green Aeolid
Cuthona virens
Small
Chocolate Aeolid 2
Cuthonella cocoachroma
Small
Doc's Aeolid 5
Catriona rickettsi
Small
Lagoon Sea Slug 18
Tenellia adspersa
Small
White-crusted Aeolid 4
Tenellia albocrusta
Small
British Columbia Aeolid 3
Tenellia columbiana
Small
Yellow-head Aeolid 2
Tenellia flavovulta
Small
Laguna Beach Aeolid 2
Tenellia lagunae
Small
Shiny Aeolid 2
Zelentia fulgens
Vrijenhoek's Nudibranch
Ziminella vrijenhoeki
Small
Smooth-tooth Aeolis 4
Apata pricei
Small
Armina californica 19
Small
Thick-horned Nudibranch 12
Hermissenda crassicornis
Small
Opalescent Nudibranch 3
Hermissenda opalescens
Small
Hilton's Aeolid 8
Phidiana hiltoni
Small
Morro Bay Aeolid 20
Emarcusia morroensis
Small
Stearns' Aeolid 14
Austraeolis stearnsi
Small
Red-Headed Aeolid 21
Noumeaella rubrofasciata
Small
Enosima Aeolid 3
Sakuraeolis enosimensis
Undertaker Nudibranch
Aeolidia libitinaria
Small
Aeolidia loui 4
Small
Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch 3
Aeolidia papillosa
Small
Colorful Aeolid 3
Aeolidiella chromosoma
Small
Brown Burrowing Aeolis 22
Cerberilla mosslandica
Small
Olive's Aeolid 4
Anteaeolidiella oliviae
Zeusia herculea
Small
Single-stalk Aeolis 3
Babakina festiva
Small
Janolus anulatus 14
Small
Santa Barbara Janolus 4
Janolus barbarensis
Small
White-and-Orange-Tipped Nudibranch 4
Janolus fuscus
Small
White-lined Dirona 3
Dirona albolineata
Small
Colorful Dirona 2
Dirona picta
Small
Diamondback Tritonia 2
Tritonia festiva
Small
Keen's Tritonid 2
Tritonia myrakeenae
Black Tiger Nudibranch
Tritonia nigritigris
Small
Tritonia tetraquetra 6
Small
Giant Orange Tochui 23
Tochuina tetraquetra
Small
Yellow-spotted Cadlina 5
Cadlina flavomaculata
Small
Cadlina limbaughorum 15
Small
Yellow-edged Cadlina 3
Cadlina luteomarginata
Small
Modest Cadlina 4
Cadlina modesta
Small
Dark-spot Cadlina 13
Cadlina sparsa
Small
Aldisa albomarginata 15
Small
Cooper's Aldisa 23
Aldisa cooperi
Small
Blood-spot Dorid 3
Aldisa sanguinea
Small
MacFarland's Chromodorid 4
Felimida macfarlandi
Small
California Blue Dorid 14
Felimare californiensis
Small
Porter's Chromodorid 4
Felimare porterae
Small
Sclerodoris tanya 15
Small
Red Dorid 3
Rostanga pulchra
Small
Heath's Dorid 5
Geitodoris heathi
Small
Diaulula lentiginosa 6
Small
O'Donoghue's Dorid 4
Diaulula odonohuei
Small
San Diego Dorid 4
Diaulula sandiegensis
Small
Mimic Dorid 4
Baptodoris mimetica
Small
Hunchback Doris 22
Atagema alba
Small
Mulliner's Dorid 21
Peltodoris mullineri
Small
Sea Lemon 3
Peltodoris nobilis
Small
Leopard Jorunna 6
Jorunna pardus
Small
Two-spotted Dorid 4
Thordisa bimaculata
Small
Red Thordisa 21
Thordisa rubescens
Small
Chan's Dorid 3
Hallaxa chani
Small
Doris tanya 24
Small
Monterey Dorid 25
Doris montereyensis
Small
Doris odhneri 23
Small
Picken's Dorid 14
Doris pickensi
Small
White Dorid 4
Conualevia alba
Small
Humped Ancula 3
Ancula gibbosa
Small
Ancula lentiginosa 25

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

Photo Credits

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

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