MacFarland's ChromodoridChromodoris macfarlandi
(1-3,7-8: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 4: Ship Rock, Santa Catalina Island / 5-6: Golf Ball Drop Off, Santa Cruz Island)
Modest CadlinaCadlina modesta
Similar to the yellow-margin cadlina, but without the yellow margin. Monterey DoridDoris montereyensis
(1-3: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos / 4-5: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 6: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 7: Lovers Point, Monterey / 8: Monastery Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea)
The Monterey dorid has black tubercles (bumps/tentacles) on its back. The similar Sea Lemon has black on its back, but only yellow tubercles. Here's a close up image of one of its rhinophores:
Mulliner's DoridPeltodoris mullineri
(1-3: Ship Rock, Santa Catalina Island)
Olive's AeolidAeolidiella oliviae Opalescent NudibranchHermissenda opalescens
(1,3,5: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 2,4,6-7: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 8: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos)
Close up of its head: These ones are tiny, just a few mm long: These are opalescent nudibranch eggs, and nudibranchs laying eggs: This species has undergone some revision lately. Hermissenda crassicornis is a more northern species with a white stripe on its cerata. Porter's ChromodoridMexichromis porterae
(1: Coral Gardens, San Clemente Island / 2-3: Arch Point, Santa Barbara Island / 4-5: Sutil Island, Santa Barbara Island / 6: Nudibranch City, Santa Cruz Island / 7: Golf Ball Drop Off, Santa Cruz Island / 8: Flame Reef, Santa Cruz Island)
Rainbow DendronotusDendronotus iris
These can be up to 8" long. They are usually red, but occasionally pink. Just after I took the first picture, this one ate the anemone in front of it:
Rainbow dendronotus eat tube-dwelling anemones. The six shots below cover the process, which took less than 30 seconds:
(1: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)
Rainbow dendronotus lay their eggs on tube-dwelling anemones, ensuring their offspring an easy source of food:
This one seems to have had its cerata chewed off by something (probably another nudibranch) and is regrowing them: Red AldisaAldisa sanguinea Red DoridRostanga pulchra
These eat red sponge. There's a red dorid hiding just right of center: Red Horned NudibranchAcanthodoris rhodoceras
Red Sponge Dorid |