LA JOLLA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Beachgoers exploring the La Jolla tide pools near Scripps Institution of Oceanography got an unexpected surprise during low tide on New Year’s Day — a Spanish shawl nudibranch, one of the ocean’s most vibrant inhabitants, could be seen in the shallow coastal waters.
This small but stunning sea slug caught the eye of a tide pool enthusiast with its bright purple body and blazing orange cerata — finger-like appendages along its back — that make it look like a piece of living marine art.
Unlike the garden slugs most people imagine, nudibranchs like the Spanish shawl are shell-less marine gastropods, related to snails but far more flamboyant. The name comes from the way it moves in the water.
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“While most sea slugs crawl, this one ‘dances’ back and forth while it swims,” noted officials with Birch Aquarium at Scripps. “Many describe its swimming style as similar to the mesmerizing moves of Spanish dancers wearing traditional shawls.”
Though only a few inches long — roughly the size of three United States quarters in a row — this nudibranch packs a biological punch. Its cerata, or anatomical structures found externally in these sea slugs, not only help it breathe but also store stinging cells the nudibranch harvests from its preferred prey, hydroids. These tiny stinging cells serve as chemical defense against predators, as noted by officials at Cabrillo National Monument…