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Melibe leonina swimming near surface, about 3 m from the bottom, in a harbor. Length about 8 cm Click the photo for a short video of this individual swimming
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This is a top left view of a swimming individual, who has been swimming away but is making a strong turn to the left. The head and oral hood are visible to the right. The flaplike extensions of the oral hood are the rhinophores. The large dorsal cerata with an internal network of vessels (hepatic diverticula?) are visible at the top and right. The foot is facing down and away from view. The oral hood is closed in this view.
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In this nearly head-on view the open oral hood with its filiform tentacles can be seen.
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Melibe leonina about 10 cm long. Collected from eelgrass at Padilla Bay. The head and oral hood is to the right. Some of the tentacles from the opening in the oral hood can be seen. (Photo by: Dave Cowles July 2006)
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This larger view of the same individual as above shows pink patches of sea strawberry, Gersemia rubriformis, one of this species' preferred foods, around the nudibranch.The pink lumps beside the nudibranch may be Gersemia that the animal has already grazed on.The anemones present are Cribrinopsis fernaldi (pink striped tentacles, beside the nudibranch) and Metridium giganteum (white, bottom of picture)Photo by Jim Nestler, July 2005
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Tochuina tetraquetra, about 12 cm long. (Photo by: James Nestler subtidally off Northwest Island, July 2006)
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The white-ringed gonopore on the right side, and the anal papilla (light colored, to the right of the gonopore and benind and below the right rhinophore) can be seen in this photo. Photo by Dave Cowles, August 2005
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The rhinophores (left shown here) have a series of projections on the posterior side. The clavus is perfoliate, retractable, and projects from an anterior shelf. It has a crownlike ring of projections around it. Photo by Dave Cowles, August 2005
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The eggs are laid in gelatinous white strands, which are often attached to the tubes of their anemone prey. This nudibranch is very active, rapidly swirling its cerata around when it crawls or swims. Click here for a movie of the animal waving its cerata. The heart of this nudibranch is large and easily seen beating through the dorsal surface. Click here for a movie of the heartbeat.
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Dendronotus iris captured at 15 m depth, Coffin Rocks (Photo by: Dave Cowles, August 2005)
