Nudibranch
March 18, 2014
Photographer: John Bayless
Summary Author: John Bayless
The photo above showing a striking fish-like creature was taken in 70 ft (21 m) of water off the coast of Malaysian Borneo near Sipidan Island. Actually, it's not a fish at all but rather a Nudibranch (“naked gills”) a member of the class Gastropoda in the phylum Mollusca. They are slow-moving and often brilliantly colored carnivores that have their gills exposed on their back. This unusual animal is a type of sea slug that forgoes a hard shell and uses camouflage and toxins for defense. The ominous horns are called rhinophores and are utilized to sense environmental conditions. This adult is about 1.6 in (4.0 cm) long -- one of the biggest members of the Nudibranchia group. Photo taken on November 2, 2012.