I see it has the frills on the back of course but it has two sets of stalks on the head area like a snail or slug. Is this a nudibranch or something more common?
Also, is this a Nudibranch or a worm? sorry for the incredibly bad photo but I had just started taking UW pictures in March of this year when I took this one.
It looks like a Sea Hare to me. Which is basically a type of Nudibranch I think.
Cheers
James
James is partially right. It's a sea hare but it's an opistobranch. Nudibranchs are a subset of opistobranchs, not the other way around. Judging by the bluish rim on the parapodia (wings) it's probably the dark colored variant of Aplysia parvula.
The second is a true nudibranch, Pteraeolidia ianthina. Common names nclude serpent sea slug, chinese dragon, and solar-powered sea slug. It eats hydroids & incorporates the stinging cells into it's own tissue for defense. In addition, these solar-powered slugs partially subsist on the byproducts of photosynthesis done by the chloroplaststhey also carries in their bodies.
The first one looks like an Aplysia sea hare, perhaps Aplysia parvula?