^^ A gorgeous Persian Carpet Flatworm (Pseudobiceros bedfordi), about 2″ long
Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Flatworms! Fiji is full of them, and oh boy did I have a blast shooting them. I LOVE these guys. The sheer diversity in color, shape, and size is truly wondrous. In fact, they are so varied that many species don’t have a common name, but are identified only by their scientific name, such as the fella below, a Goniobranchus sp. 10. In other words, we know he’s a lot like other Goniobranchi, but there are so many variations that we’re just gonna start numbering them. (Hey, I don’t name ’em; I just shoot ’em.) This one was about 1″ long:
Next is a Coryphellina flamma, pictured below. At less than 1/2″ long, he clocks in at SO TINY but so gorgeous. The flamma part of his name derives from the flame-like color of his cerrata (science-speak for the little sticky-up nodule thingies on his back):
The next one is a stunningly beautiful nudibranch known as a Blue Dragon (Pteraeolidia semperi), about 3″ long:
Last up, a nudibranch I found crawling upside down on a wall. This is the Lined Nembrotha (Nembrotha lineolata), about 1.5″ long:
A word about nudibranch and sea slug scientific classification: The reference book I use is the NSSI2, which is a nearly 500 page book filled to the brim with nudibranchs and sea slugs. This book was issued in 2018 (second edition), but scientists remain very busy trying to correctly classify all the zillions of these critters. I have been informed by People Who Know These Things that the classifications continue to evolve, and guess what? The scientists don’t always agree on who belongs where. For example, there is some debate (argument?) over whether the Coryphellina, above, ought to be classified as a Flabellina instead.
Fascinating.
Yeah, I can geek out with the best of them when it comes to nudibranchs.
See below for more incredible nudis/flatworms/sea slugs…
