Weird Creature of the month – February

Nudibranchs – Nudibranchia

Nudibranchs are snails without shells. The evolution has led out of his shell for better mobility, and to be able to move faster. They have no shell for protection but uses instead bright colors to scare off predators, signaling that they are poisonous, as well as camouflage. The bright colors, they receive it from the food they eat. Nudibranchs are simultaneous hermaphrodites. At mating they “fight” about who should have to be male because it takes more energy to care for and add the eggs. All nudibranchs are carnivores, meat eaters, and eat among hydroids and nudibranchs. The easiest way to spot these gems is to find out which hydroid they eat or look after their eggs. Nudibranchs are seen all over the world and
in many different colors and shapes.

 

Blue Dragon – Pteraeolidia ianthina

The nudibranch Blue Dragon is 13 inches long, it is usually blue / purple, but is also available in green and yellow. It can be recognized by their purple band on the long mouth tentacels. It eats hydroids and prefers Ralpharia sp. In some hydroids zooxantellae lives. This the algae which live in symbiosis with corals, which it can catches. Zooxantellae supplies the nudibranch with nutrition as it extracting throw photosynthesis from sunlight and the nudibranch provides protection in return. Blue Dragon frequent stays near its eggs, up to several weeks, after they have them but you do not know if it protects them.

Nudibranchs – Nudibranchia

Nudibranchs are snails without shells. The evolution has led out of his shell for better mobility, and to be able to move faster. They have no shell for protection but uses instead bright colors to scare off predators, signaling that they are poisonous, as well as camouflage. The bright colors, they receive it from the food they eat. Nudibranchs are simultaneous hermaphrodites. At mating they “fight” about who should have to be male because it takes more energy to care for and add the eggs. All nudibranchs are carnivores, meat eaters, and eat among hydroids and nudibranchs. The easiest way to spot these gems is to find out which hydroid they eat or look after their eggs. Nudibranchs are seen all over the world and
in many different colors and shapes.

 

Blue Dragon – Pteraeolidia ianthina

The nudibranch Blue Dragon is 13 inches long, it is usually blue / purple, but is also available in green and yellow. It can be recognized by their purple band on the long mouth tentacels. It eats hydroids and prefers Ralpharia sp. In some hydroids zooxantellae lives. This the algae which live in symbiosis with corals, which it can catches. Zooxantellae supplies the nudibranch with nutrition as it extracting throw photosynthesis from sunlight and the nudibranch provides protection in return. Blue Dragon frequent stays near its eggs, up to several weeks, after they have them but you do not know if it protects them.