Comments on: Beautiful pictures of toxic sea slugs

Beautiful pictures of toxic sea slugs

phunniemee — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:06:11 -0800

National Geographic has a really neat photo gallery of nudibranchs. These are very colorful, very cute sea slugs. Enjoy.

By: amyms

amyms — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:09:34 -0800

I just saw these in my dead-tree copy of National Geographic. They're amazing!

By: mrzarquon

mrzarquon — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:11:34 -0800

It's like marine biology meets Chiat Day ad campaign!

By: JibberJabber

JibberJabber — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:15:13 -0800

With a name like "nudibranchs" I was hoping for a NSFW tag... The pictures are great.

By: overglow

overglow — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:18:50 -0800

Those pictures are really cool, but I definitely wouldn't call them cute.

By: Stunt

Stunt — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:26:54 -0800

Woah. These things are awesome. Great photos, too. I have some great ideas for how I could use them in a shoot, but I kind of suspect I can't go pick them up from my pet store.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:30:13 -0800

Amazing. Thanks.

By: avocet

avocet — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:31:54 -0800

I can't stop looking at pimp slug (last page, first one). That would be the best little pet to have on a leash. Aww, cute toxic pimp slug.

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:33:16 -0800

I think your list of tags aptly and oddly covers all my reactions. Then I decided to look up slugs on Wikipedia: The largest group of marine shell-less gastropods or sea slugs are the nudibranchs, but there are in addition many other groups of sea slug such as the heterobranch sea butterflies, sea angels, and sea hares, as well as the only very distantly related, pelagic, caenogastropod sea slugs, which are within the superfamily Carinarioidea. More from the land slugs page: Slugs are hermaphrodites, having both female and male reproductive organs. Once a slug has located a mate they encircle each other and sperm is exchanged through their protruding genitalia. A few days later around 30 eggs are laid into a hole in the ground or under the cover of objects such as fallen logs. A commonly seen practice among many slugs is apophallation, when one or both of the slugs chews off the other's penis. The penis of these species is curled like a cork-screw and often becomes entangled in their mate's genitalia in the process of exchanging sperm. When all else fails, apophallation allows the slugs to separate themselves. Once its penis has been removed, a slug is still able to participate in mating subsequently, but only using the female parts of its reproductive system. I'd like to think that these whimsically named nudibranchs behave somewhat differently from their less colorful land-dwelling relatives, but regardless, I'm a little bit (ok, a lot) horrified. They're also carnivores.

By: Poolio

Poolio — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:35:14 -0800

Those look delicious.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:36:43 -0800

Whoa. The last one's a dead ringer for my ex. Thanks for the link.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:43:15 -0800

There's also video.

By: dersins

dersins — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:21:47 -0800

Some other awesome nudibranchs.

By: librarylis

librarylis — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:54:23 -0800

Nice! The National Geographic is always worth a second look, so much thanks. I wonder if I ran into any of these guys at the beach today?

By: winna

winna — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:01:02 -0800

Sea hares are the largest of the sea slugs. The Black California Sea Hare can weigh up to 35 pounds! The Sea Slug Forum has lots of beautiful pictures of all kinds of sea slugs. They are my favorite marine animal.

By: nicolin

nicolin — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:21:42 -0800

beautiful, and new to me. thanks a lot.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:22:42 -0800

Sea slugs from Japan.

By: DreamerFi

DreamerFi — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:46:16 -0800

What a pity they are photoshopped out of their natural environment.

By: Burns Ave.

Burns Ave. — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:58:31 -0800

My goodness these pictures are beautiful.

By: vewystwange

vewystwange — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:42:12 -0800

Those pictures are really cool, but I definitely wouldn't call them cute. posted by overglow Well one of them is, at least. First slug on the last page. Such a cutie.

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:16:07 -0800

This reminds me of recent attempts to buy running shoes.

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:20:52 -0800

Viewing tip: There are multiple pages. To get to the next page you need to click on the >|.

By: Uther Bentrazor

Uther Bentrazor — Mon, 19 May 2008 04:45:57 -0800

Is their natural defense that they look like a cross between sushi and gummi candy? Because I'd be dead inside of a week if I lived in the sea.

By: mystyk

mystyk — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:48:51 -0800

And I just came from watching a neat video of a nudibranch called an "Orange Spanish Dancer" over on pharyngula.org. What timing.

By: amro

amro — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:54:45 -0800

Those pictures are really cool, but I definitely wouldn't call them cute. I beg to differ.

By: Solon and Thanks

Solon and Thanks — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:56:02 -0800

That one looks like a pokemon. I'm only a little ashamed to make that statement.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:56:55 -0800

Looks like someone had chili for dinner. Watch out, fire in the hole!

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:09:04 -0800

I also find some pictures of nudibranchs very appealing.

By: hecho de la basura

hecho de la basura — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:24:23 -0800

Absolutely awesome! Bornella anguilla (the sixth one on the first page) is the new love my life. Sea hares are the largest of the sea slugs. The Black California Sea Hare can weigh up to 35 pounds! I just googled for images of them and now I know why they are called sea hares. They kind of look like a bunny with two elephantine trunks and two tails...maybe? Really cute though!

By: peacay

peacay — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:42:28 -0800

Wonderful first post, thanks phunniemee. I should pass the link on to the local cake shop. Some delicious kids' birthday cake inspiration there.

By: BobbyDigital

BobbyDigital — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:46:55 -0800

Fantastic.

By: owtytrof

owtytrof — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:01:13 -0800

Go, Team Sea Slug!

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:27:20 -0800

From the "Statements You Never Expected to Make" file: My, what gorgeous slugs those are! Gracias.

By: quin

quin — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:33:33 -0800

Aww, they are cannibalistic too. Not that I can blame them. If my kin were that cute, I'd want to eat them as well.

By: Gular

Gular — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:36:42 -0800

I often forget that some of the coolest looking and most colorful creatures are actually real. Thanks for the post!

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:41:22 -0800

Nature is so much more awesome than any of the crap we stupid humans create.

By: stargell

stargell — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:45:47 -0800

"a randy little fellow whose primitive brain scarcely strays from the subject of the you know what."

By: mediareport

mediareport — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:30:03 -0800

See also the fantabulous Nudi of the Week site; it's been collecting great nudi shots for years.

By: maudlin

maudlin — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:02:49 -0800

Those are just stunningly beautiful. I've been clearing my house of crap, but I'm going to buy my first print copy of National Geographic in years just because I need to see those in full, properly printed colour.

By: maudlin

maudlin — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:11:44 -0800

And according to the video dobbs linked to above, they are those combos of glorious colours because of the toxic stuff they eat (including each other). They say to the rest of the ocean, "If you eat me, you will die." Ooh -- wallpaper!

By: samthemander

samthemander — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:35:58 -0800

Thanks for posting this. Made my morning.

By: eponymouse

eponymouse — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:06:12 -0800

They look like slippers. Fancier ones than mine, too.

By: Kronos_to_Earth

Kronos_to_Earth — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:28:33 -0800

I just googled for "nudibranch slippers" eponymouse, no luck.... But how about some Pyjama Cardinalfish?!

By: MChristian

MChristian — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:53:04 -0800

Gorgeous!