Giant melibe
Melibe viridis
- Scientific name
- Melibe viridis
- Group
- Nudibranchs & Molluscs
- Rarity
- Epic
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The giant melibe hunts without teeth or a radula, spreading a large net-like oral hood to trap small crustaceans before snapping it shut. The finger-like projections on its back, called cerata, also help it breathe.
What defines this group — Nudibranchs & Molluscs
Sea snails, with or without a shell — nudibranchs traded theirs for warning colours.
- “Nudibranch” means naked gills: the plume on the back is their breathing apparatus.
- Two rhinophores on the head act as a nose, following scent trails.
- Many recycle the venom of their prey — anemones, hydroids — for their own defence.