Sea snail @ Komodo, Indonesia

by Travel Tips and Stories

The waters around the Indonesian island of Komodo are home to countless remarkable sea slugs, also known as nudibranchs. They stand out for their bizarre shapes and spectacular colours, and feed on sponges, corals and other sea slugs.
Well-known and notorious species in Komodo National Park include:
Strawberry nudibranch (Gymnodoris aurita): A striking, bright red to orange sea slug with large yellow or white bumps. Despite its cute nickname, this is an aggressive carnivore that hunts other (and sometimes its own) sea slugs.
Spanish Dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus): One of the largest sea snails. When disturbed, this bright red snail unfurls large flaps with which it swims gracefully through the water, resembling a dancer.
Glossodoris atromarginata: A cream-coloured snail with a wavy mantle edge that is dark brown to black in colour. The species is known for its unusual mating behaviour, in which the animals ‘duel’ for the role of the male.
The bright colours of these snails are not merely for decoration. It is a form of warning (aposematic colouration): they often accumulate toxic chemicals from their diet, making them inedible or even lethal to predators.