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Flabellina exoptata
Also known as Flabellina Sea Slug, Expat Flabellina and Sonic the Hedgehog Nudibranch, this nudibranch's body is slender and translucent pink with a purple tinge. The base of its cerata is the same color as the body, but is banded by dark purple and tipped with white. Its rhinophores are typically a bright orange. They feed on hydroids, coral, sponges and sea anemones, and grow to a length of about 3cm.
Found singly or in pairs on coral and rocky reefs in sand and rubble areas, at depths of 2 to 40m. Widespread in the Indo-Pacific region.
I'm very happy to have finally seen F. exoptata in my home area, and two of them right away! Spotted these beauties off the coast of Paradise Island Beach Resort on Samal Island, Philippines, at a depth of 15.5m. They were perched on a seaweed or hydroid, and the one on top seemed to be feeding. The one below jerked several times, and two of its cerata looked bloated. Each of them measured about 1.5cm long.
Spotted on Oct 7, 2012
Submitted on Oct 9, 2012
2 Comments
Thanks, nexttogone! I'm a diver and that's *exactly* how I feel whenever I see these stupendous creatures underwater! :D
Beautiful shots.... I would never come up for air if I was a diver.