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
   (1-2: Whaler's Cove, Point Lobos / 3: San Carlos Beach, Monterey)
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:
  (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 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 DoridRostanga pulchra
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Copyright 2013-2021 Randall Spangler
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