Sea Slug

Sea Slug, also known as nudibranch, an exquisitely coloured mollusc that exists without a protective shell. Sea slugs are related to snails and slugs, hence their name. Their colours include white, black, red, yellow, pink, and blue. Sea slugs are generally small creatures, usually not reaching more than a few centimetres in length. The gills are visible as soft tufts on the back of the animal. Sea slugs are very diverse, with almost 300 species in southern Africa alone.

Sea slugs eat mainly organisms such as sponges and sea anemones. Some are so specific that they will only eat one species of sponge. This makes them very difficult to keep in aquaria. Sea slugs can incorporate chemicals and stings obtained from their food into their own bodies for use against predators. The bright colours serve as a warning to potential predators that they contain toxins.

Sea slugs are hermaphrodite, but still require cross-fertilization. Once the eggs have been fertilized, they are laid in strings covered by a protective coat of jelly. These egg strings are often laid in spiral or coiled patterns, and each species of sea slug lays its eggs in a different pattern.

Scientific classification: The sea slug is a mollusc of the subclass Opisthobranchia in the class Gastropoda, and a relative of the snail, the winkle, and the slug. It belongs to the order Nudibranchia.