Sun nudibranch
Phyllodesmium longicirrum
- Scientific name
- Phyllodesmium longicirrum
- Group
- Nudibranchs & Molluscs
- Rarity
- Epic
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Not evaluated
Did you know?
The sun nudibranch is one of the largest known nudibranchs, sometimes exceeding 20 cm in length. It feeds on soft corals and keeps their symbiotic algae alive within its own tissue, where they continue producing energy through photosynthesis.
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.