MacFarland's Chromodorid
Chromodoris 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 Cadlina
Cadlina modesta
(1-2: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos / 3: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
Similar to the yellow-margin cadlina, but without the yellow margin.
Monterey Dorid
Doris 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:
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
Mulliner's Dorid
Peltodoris mullineri
(1-3: Ship Rock, Santa Catalina Island)
Olive's Aeolid
Aeolidiella oliviae
(1-3: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)
Opalescent Nudibranch
Hermissenda crassicornia
(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:
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
These ones are tiny, just a few mm long:
(1-2: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)
These are opalescent nudibranch eggs, and nudibranchs laying eggs:
(1,3: San Carlos Beach, Monterey / 2: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)
Porter's Chromodorid
Mexichromis 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 Dendronotus
Dendronotus iris
(1-3: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 4-8: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
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:
(1-2: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
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:
(1: Monterey State Beach, Monterey / 2: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
This one seems to have had its cerata chewed off by something (probably another nudibranch) and is regrowing them:
Red Aldisa
Aldisa sanguinea
(1: Coral Street, Monterey / 2: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos)
Red Dorid
Rostanga pulchra
(1-2: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos / 3: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
These eat red sponge. There's a red dorid hiding just right of center:
(1: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos)
Red Horned Nudibranch
Acanthodoris rhodoceras
(1: Monterey State Beach, Monterey)
Red Sponge Dorid
Rostanga pulchra
(1: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
