Crested Nembrotha

Nembrotha cristata is a species of colorful sea slug, a polycerid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species of sea slug is black with green markings; adults are around 50 mm in length, and they live on rock or coral reefs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean. Although they mostly eat sea squirts, they also absorb stinging cells from the jellyfish that they sometimes eat; this allows the sea slug to deliver a painful sting to would-be predators.

Description

Nembrotha cristata is a large black nembrothine ("nembrothid" in much of the literature) that grows to at least 50 mm in length. Its body is covered with raised green nodules. The rhinophores and gills are black, edged in green. Other than the difference in color, this species is similar in appearance to Nembrotha yonowae.

Habitat

This nudibranch species occurs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean. It lives at depths between three and twenty meters. These sea slugs live on coral or rock reefs, and have a lifespan of up to a year.

Behavior

The bright colors of this nudibranch species are a warning to predators (i.e. aposematism). These creatures incorporate stinging cells (nematocysts) from the jellyfish that they sometimes eat, and thus the slugs are able to deliver a painful sting. Normally however these sea slugs eat compound tunicates. Like all opisthobranchs, these sea slugs are hermaphrodites. They lay their eggs in the sand in a ribbon-like pattern.