Common name : Spanish shawl nudibranch
Scientific name : Flabellina iodinea
Family : Flabellinidae
Native to : Oceans worldwide
Interesting fact : They are hermaphrodites, having reproductive organs for both sexes, but cannot fertilize themselves.
Conservation status : Not Evaluated
The nudibranch is an extraordinarily coloured mollusc. They are soft-bodied, shedding their shells after the larval stage. Measuring 20-600 mm long, they have tentacles which are sensitive to touch, taste and smell. Eggs get deposited within a gelatinous spiral. They feed on sponges, hydroids, bryozoans, sea slugs, tunicates, barnacles and anemones. Lifespan is less than one year.
