Chromodoris westraliensis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chromodoris westraliensis |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Chromodoris
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| Species: |
westraliensis
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Chromodoris westraliensis is a super colorful sea slug! It's a type of marine snail without a shell, called a nudibranch. These amazing creatures are a kind of gastropod mollusc and belong to the family Chromodorididae.
Where They Live
You can find this sea slug along the coast of Western Australia. They live from the northern Kimberley region all the way down to Esperance in the south. It's the most common type of nudibranch you'll see around the Perth area.
What They Look Like
These sea slugs can grow up to 65 millimeters long, which is about 2.5 inches. A special part called a mantle covers their upper body and forms a skirt around their sides.
Their bodies are very bright! They usually have one or two bright blue patches on a black background. They also have a bold orange outline around their body. This bright coloring is a special warning sign called aposematic coloration. It tells predators that the sea slug is toxic and not good to eat!
At the front of their head, they have two orange, tentacle-shaped organs called rhinophores. These help them sense their surroundings. They also have orange, feathery gills clustered near their rear end.
How They Live
Chromodoris westraliensis sea slugs eat sponges. They usually stick to just one type of sponge. What's cool is that they store the toxins from the sponges they eat. This helps them stay safe from animals that might want to eat them!
You can find these sea slugs in shallow waters. They live on reefs that are partly open to the ocean, and they can be found as deep as 18 meters (about 60 feet) underwater.
See Also
In Spanish: Chromodoris westraliensis para niños
