Nudibranch – Pokemon of the sea

Nudibranch – Pokemon of the sea
Crested Nembrotha Dorid Nudibranch

I have never met a scuba diver who didn’t like nudibranchs! These colourful, wriggly creatures are part of the Nudibranchia family, a soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which do not have shells. I had a friend describe them as flowers of the sea (though they are animals, not plants!) as they come in all sorts of bright colours. Another friend described them as Pokemon of the sea as there are so many different types.

Crested Nembrotha Dorid Nudibranch
Crested Nembrotha Dorid Nudibranch

In fact, there are over 2,300 different types of Nudibranch. Most live in warm tropical waters, close to the equator, though some species can be found in cooler waters, even as far south as Sydney in Australia.

I have done scuba diving all over Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and always see nudibranch each time I go diving. You see some very common nudibranch in most tropical areas, like the Pimpled Phyllidiella Nudibranch or the Sky Blue Phullidia Dorid Nudibranch (both pictured below), though every now and then you see a very unique and elobarate nudibranch.

Pimpled Phyllidiella Nudibranch
Pimpled Phyllidiella Nudibranch
Sky Blue Phyllidia Dorid Nudibranch
Sky Blue Phyllidia Dorid Nudibranch

One of the prettiest nudibranchs I have seen recently off the Gili Islands Lombok is the Dark Margin Glossodoris Nudibranch. I saw this one swimming, almost flying through the water as it flapped itself through the water.

Dark Margin Glossodoris Nudibranch
Dark Margin Glossodoris Nudibranch

Here are some more pics of the different Nudibranch:

Swollen Phyllidia Dorid Nudibranch
Swollen Phyllidia Dorid Nudibranch
Anna's Chromodoris Nudibranch
Anna’s Chromodoris Nudibranch
Bloomy Tambja Norid Nudibranch
Bloomy Tambja Norid Nudibranch
Dark Margin Glossodoris Nudibranch
Dark Margin Glossodoris Nudibranch
Shireen's Phyllidiopsis Dorid Nudibranch
Shireen’s Phyllidiopsis Dorid Nudibranch
Desirable Flabellina Aeolid Nudibranch
Desirable Flabellina Aeolid Nudibranch
Eel Bornella Dendronotid Nudibranch
Eel Bornella Dendronotid Nudibranch
Many-Lined Chromodoris Dorid Nudibranch
Many-Lined Chromodoris Dorid Nudibranch
Pimpled Nudibranch
Pimpled Nudibranch
Unidentified Nudibranch
Unidentified Nudibranch

If anyone can help identify this last Nudibranch it would be great appreciated. Leave a comment below or send an email from the contact us link.

Check out our video of Nudibranch in Indonesia

https://youtu.be/pWcCIWaFoNk

1 Comment on “Nudibranch – Pokemon of the sea

  1. I LUUUUUUUUUUURVE nudibranches! They are freaking awesome! I really appreciate the effort you’ve made into finding their full first names and last names. Who knew the Romans knew so much about these wonderful creatures!