Back

Flabellinopsis iodinea, the Spanish shawl, is a species of aeolid nudibranch, a very colorful sea slug. Native to the west coast of North America and further south. It feeds on specific hydroids, acquiring its bright colors from carotenoid pigments in its prey. The orange color of the cerata may serve as both camouflage while feeding and a warning to predators that they are distasteful. While primarily a crawler, the Spanish shawl can also swim by flexing its body and pushing off from the substrate. They have both female and male reproductive organs but can't self-fertilize. The red rhinophores are sensory structures used for detecting the presence of possible mates and prey.
Pic: dpom/ Inaturalist
#weird #sea #animals #strange