Photo selected by our reviewer @salvadilauro
Featured photographer @ecology.upclose
Frosted Nudibranch (Dirona albolineata). If you look closely you can see its little mouth wreaking havoc on a hydroid of some kind. Which despite looking like seaweed, its actually an animal related to jellyfish, you can see tiny tentacles on the left side if you look closely.
Many nudibranchs can "steal" the stinging cells (nematocysts) of their cnidarian prey like hydroids or anemones, which they store in the cerata on their back to sting and ward off predators. This Frosted Nudibranch does not have that ability despite looking like it could. Its defence is shedding the large cerata to distract predators. like how a lizard sheds it tail.
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