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Nudibranchs and Other Sea Slugs 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 ...more ↓

Striped Barrel Snail 1
Rictaxis punctocaelatus
Undescribed Doto Form A of Goddard, 1996 2
Undescribed Doto sp. 4 "Orange-dotted" 3
Hammerhead Doto 4
Doto amyra
British Columbia Doto 2
Doto columbiana
Seal Doto 2
Doto kya
Lance's Doto 5
Doto lancei
Threaded Nudibranch 6
Pseudobornella orientalis
White Dendronotus 7
Dendronotus albus
Giant Nudibranch 8
Dendronotus iris
Stubby Dendronotid 2
Dendronotus subramosus
Branched Dendronotid 9
Dendronotus venustus
Hancock's Nudibranch 2
Hancockia californica
Hooded Nudibranch 2
Melibe leonina
Goddard's Aeolid 10
Pacifia goddardi
Undescribed Cumanotus sp. of Goddard and Green, 2013 5
Fernald's Aeolid 11
Cumanotus fernaldi
Undescribed Eubranchus sp. 1 of Behrens, et al, 2022 12
Undescribed Eubranchus sp. 3 of Behrens, et al, 2022 4
Undescribed Eubranchus sp. 5 of Behrens et al, 2022 4
Green Balloon Aeolid 1
Eubranchus olivaceus
Homely Aeolid 13
Eubranchus rustyus
Steinbeck's Aeolid 14
Eubranchus steinbecki
Misaki Aeolid 5
Leostyletus misakiensis
Feather Aeolid 5
Fiona pinnata
Rose-pink Cuthona 1
Cuthona divae
Hamann's Aeolid 5
Cuthona hamanni
Long's Aeolid 15
Cuthona longi
Lost Cuthona 7
Cuthona perca
Phoenix Aeolid 2
Cuthona phoenix
Roller's Aeolid 16
Cuthona rolleri
Chocolate Aeolid 1
Cuthonella cocoachroma
British Columbia Aeolid 17
Catriona columbiana
Doc's Aeolid 13
Catriona rickettsi
Catriona spadix 11
Undescribed Cladobranchia 4
Spotted Lagoon Aeolid 5
Tenellia adspersa
White-crusted Aeolid 18
Trinchesia albocrusta
Yellowhead Aeolid 5
Diaphoraeolis flavovulta
Green Aeolid
Trinchesia virens
Shiny Aeolid 1
Zelentia fulgens
Laguna Aeolid 1
Diaphoreolis lagunae
Vrijenhoek's Nudibranch 4
Ziminella vrijenhoeki
Undescribed Apata cf. pricei 4
Smooth-tooth Aeolis 4
Apata pricei
Elegant Aeolid 18
Abronica abronia
Cooper's Aeolid 5
Coryphella cooperi
Three-lined Aeolid 18
Coryphella trilineata
Armina californica 19
Undescribed Sakuraeolis cf. enosimensis 4
Undescribed Aeolid Nudibranch 4
Aeolidioidea
Hilton's Aeolid 8
Phidiana hiltoni
Morro Bay Aeolid 20
Emarcusia morroensis
Stearns' Aeolid 21
Austraeolis stearnsi
Red-Headed Aeolid 22
Noumeaella rubrofasciata
Undertaker Nudibranch 4
Aeolidia libitinaria
Warty Shag-rug Nudibranch 5
Aeolidia loui
Shag-rug Nudibranch 23
Aeolidia papillosa
Colorful Aeolid 2
Aeolidiella chromosoma
Moss Landing Aeolid 24
Cerberilla mosslandica
Cerberilla pungoarena 25
Olive's Aeolid 5
Anteaeolidiella oliviae
Zeusia herculea
Baba's Festive Aeolid 18
Babakina festiva
Spanish Shawl 5
Flabellinopsis iodinea
Horned Nudibranch 5
Hermissenda crassicornis
Opalescent Nudibranch 2
Hermissenda opalescens
White-lined Dirona 2
Dirona albolineata
Colorful Dirona 2
Dirona picta
Ringed Janolus 21
Janolus anulatus
Cockscomb Nudibranch 5
Antiopella barbarensis
White-and-Orange-Tipped Nudibranch 5
Antiopella fusca
Keen's Tritonid 1
Tritonicula myrakeenae
Tritonia exsulans 26
Festive Tritonid 1
Tritonia festiva
Black Tiger Nudibranch 4
Tritonia nigritigris
Giant Orange Tochui 27
Tochuina tetraquetra
Red Dorid 2
Rostanga pulchra
Heath's Dorid 13
Geitodoris heathi
Diaulula lentiginosa 28
O'Donoghue's Dorid 5
Diaulula odonohuei
San Diego Dorid 5
Diaulula sandiegensis
Mimic Dorid 5
Baptodoris mimetica
Hunchback Doris 24
Atagema alba
Mulliner's Dorid 22
Peltodoris mullineri
Noble Dorid 2
Peltodoris nobilis
Leopard Jorunna 28
Jorunna pardus
Sonora Dorid 5
Taringa aivica
Two-spotted Dorid 5
Thordisa bimaculata
Red Thordisa 22
Thordisa rubescens
Monterey Dorid 2
Doris montereyensis
Doris odhneri 27
Picken's Dorid 21
Doris pickensi
Tanya's Dorid 15
Doris tanya
White Dorid 5
Conualevia alba
Salt-and-pepper Doris 2
Aegires albopunctatus
Humped Ancula 2
Ancula gibbosa
Ancula lentiginosa 5
Ancula pacifica 5
Gosliner's Trapania 11
Trapania goslineri

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) Chloe_and_Trevor, all rights reserved, uploaded by Chloe_and_Trevor
  • 4. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, all rights reserved, uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
  • 5. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
  • 6. (c) Robin Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 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) marlin harms, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 10. (c) Dr. Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 11. (c) Craig Hoover, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig Hoover
  • 12. (c) Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jeff Goddard
  • 13. (c) Robin Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 14. (c) Siobhan O'Neill, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Siobhan O'Neill
  • 15. (c) jeffhamann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by jeffhamann
  • 16. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Gary McDonald
  • 17. (c) Neil McDaniel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Neil McDaniel
  • 18. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal (ANudibranchMom on iNaturalist), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 19. (c) Minette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 20. (c) Brenna Green, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Brenna Green
  • 21. (c) Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 22. (c) Phil Garner, all rights reserved, uploaded by Phil Garner
  • 23. (c) Stefan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Stefan
  • 24. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gary McDonald
  • 25. (c) passiflora4, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by passiflora4
  • 26. (c) karin fletcher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by karin fletcher
  • 27. (c) Dan Hershman, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 28. (c) Brenna Green, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Brenna Green

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