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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 non-native ...more ↓

Striped Barrel Snail 1
Rictaxis punctocaelatus
Undescribed Cladobranchia 2
Undescribed Aeolid Nudibranch 2
Aeolidioidea
Doto Form A of Goddard (1996)(undescribed) 3
Doto
Hammerhead Doto 2
Doto amyra
British Columbia Doto 3
Doto columbiana
Seal Doto 3
Doto kya
Lance's Doto 4
Doto lancei
Threaded Nudibranch 5
Pseudobornella orientalis
White Dendronotus 6
Dendronotus albus
Giant Nudibranch 7
Dendronotus iris
Stubby Dendronotid 3
Dendronotus subramosus
Branched Dendronotid 8
Dendronotus venustus
Hancock's Nudibranch 3
Hancockia californica
Hooded Nudibranch 3
Melibe leonina
Goddard's Aeolid 9
Pacifia goddardi
Cumanotus sp. of Goddard and Green (2013) (undescribed) 4
Cumanotus
Fernald's Aeolid 10
Cumanotus fernaldi
Eubranchus species 2 of Behrens and Hermosillo (2005) (undescribed) 11
Eubranchus
Eubranchus Sp. 5 of Behrens et al, 2022 12
Green Balloon Aeolid 1
Eubranchus olivaceus
Homely Aeolid 13
Eubranchus rustyus
Misaki Aeolid 4
Leostyletus misakiensis
Feather Aeolid 4
Fiona pinnata
Rose-pink Cuthona 1
Cuthona divae
Hamann's Aeolid 4
Cuthona hamanni
Long's Aeolid 14
Cuthona longi
Lost Cuthona 6
Cuthona perca
Phoenix Aeolid 3
Cuthona phoenix
Roller's Aeolid 15
Cuthona rolleri
Chocolate Aeolid 1
Cuthonella cocoachroma
British Columbia Aeolid 16
Catriona columbiana
Doc's Aeolid 13
Catriona rickettsi
Catriona spadix 10
Spotted Lagoon Aeolid 4
Tenellia adspersa
White-crusted Aeolid 4
Tenellia albocrusta
Yellow-head Aeolid 1
Tenellia flavovulta
Green Aeolid
Trinchesia virens
Shiny Aeolid 1
Zelentia fulgens
Laguna Aeolid 1
Diaphoreolis lagunae
Vrijenhoek's Nudibranch
Ziminella vrijenhoeki
Smooth-tooth Aeolis 4
Apata pricei
Elegant Aeolid 4
Abronica abronia
Cooper's Aeolid 17
Orienthella cooperi
Three-lined Aeolid 3
Orienthella trilineata
Armina californica 18
Hilton's Aeolid 7
Phidiana hiltoni
Morro Bay Aeolid 19
Emarcusia morroensis
Stearns' Aeolid 20
Austraeolis stearnsi
Red-Headed Aeolid 21
Noumeaella rubrofasciata
Enosima Aeolid 3
Sakuraeolis enosimensis
Undertaker Nudibranch
Aeolidia libitinaria
Warty Shag-rug Nudibranch 4
Aeolidia loui
Shag-rug Nudibranch 22
Aeolidia papillosa
Colorful Aeolid 3
Aeolidiella chromosoma
Moss Landing Aeolid 23
Cerberilla mosslandica
Cerberilla pungoarena 24
Olive's Aeolid 4
Anteaeolidiella oliviae
Zeusia herculea
Baba's Festive Aeolid 3
Babakina festiva
Spanish Shawl 4
Flabellinopsis iodinea
Horned Nudibranch 4
Hermissenda crassicornis
Opalescent Nudibranch 3
Hermissenda opalescens
White-lined Dirona 3
Dirona albolineata
Colorful Dirona 3
Dirona picta
Ringed Janolus 20
Janolus anulatus
Cockscomb Nudibranch 4
Antiopella barbarensis
White-and-Orange-Tipped Nudibranch 4
Antiopella fusca
Keen's Tritonid 1
Tritonicula myrakeenae
Tritonia exsulans 25
Festive Tritonid 1
Tritonia festiva
Black Tiger Nudibranch
Tritonia nigritigris
Giant Orange Tochui 26
Tochuina tetraquetra
Red Dorid 3
Rostanga pulchra
Heath's Dorid 13
Geitodoris heathi
Diaulula lentiginosa 27
O'Donoghue's Dorid 4
Diaulula odonohuei
San Diego Dorid 4
Diaulula sandiegensis
Mimic Dorid 4
Baptodoris mimetica
Hunchback Doris 23
Atagema alba
Mulliner's Dorid 21
Peltodoris mullineri
Noble Dorid 3
Peltodoris nobilis
Leopard Jorunna 27
Jorunna pardus
Two-spotted Dorid 4
Thordisa bimaculata
Red Thordisa 21
Thordisa rubescens
Monterey Dorid 3
Doris montereyensis
Doris odhneri 26
Picken's Dorid 20
Doris pickensi
Tanya's Dorid 14
Doris tanya
White Dorid 4
Conualevia alba
Salt-and-pepper Doris 3
Aegires albopunctatus
Humped Ancula 3
Ancula gibbosa
Ancula lentiginosa 4
Ancula pacifica 4
Los Angeles Okenia 4
Okenia angelensis
Okenia felis 28
Flat Okenia 4
Okenia plana
Hopkin's Rose 29
Okenia rosacea
Gosliner's Trapania 4
Trapania goslineri
Swift Trapania 30
Trapania velox

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 Gwen Agarwal, all rights reserved, uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
  • 3. (c) Robin Agarwal (ANudibranchMom on iNaturalist), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 4. (c) Robin Gwen Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Robin Gwen Agarwal
  • 5. (c) Robin Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 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) marlin harms, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 9. (c) Dr. Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 10. (c) Craig Hoover, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig Hoover
  • 11. (c) Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jeff Goddard
  • 12. (c) thetidepooler, all rights reserved, uploaded by thetidepooler
  • 13. (c) Robin Agarwal, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  • 14. (c) jeffhamann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by jeffhamann
  • 15. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Gary McDonald
  • 16. (c) Neil McDaniel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Neil McDaniel
  • 17. (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy
  • 18. (c) Minette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 19. (c) Brenna Green, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Brenna Green
  • 20. (c) Jeff Goddard, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 21. (c) Phil Garner, all rights reserved, uploaded by Phil Garner
  • 22. (c) Stefan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Stefan
  • 23. (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gary McDonald
  • 24. (c) passiflora4, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by passiflora4
  • 25. (c) karin fletcher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by karin fletcher
  • 26. (c) Dan Hershman, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 27. (c) Brenna Green, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Brenna Green
  • 28. (c) Robert H. Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY)
  • 29. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
  • 30. (c) Ken Bondy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)

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