Flabellina Trophina Nudibranch

One of our most beautiful and common nudibranchs is the Flabellina Trophina nudibranch.  This species was miss-identified in several older books as Flabellina Fusca.  

The species is easily recognized by its somewhat pointed snout in front of a lovely translucent white body.  The cerata run from brown to fusca with vivid white tips.  We often spot this species by the hundreds in October when it comes up into shallow water to mate. 

Feeding primarily on hydroids, it was once thought this Nudibranch fed on tube worms, but it turns out that it just likes the hydroids growing on the outside of the tube worm.

The eggs of the Flabellina nudibranchs are laid in delicate coils that look like a white spotted gel laid down by a squirt bottle (ketchup).