Felimare picta is a species of colourful sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae. Atlantic Ocean species of Hypselodoris were all transferred to Felimare following a DNA phylogeny.
Felimare picta
large individual, Arrecife, Lanzarote.
large individual with less yellow colouration, Lanzarote
Head, Lanzarote
Nudibranchs belong to the order Nudibranchia, a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs that shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to match, such as "clown", "marigold", "splendid", "dancer", "dragon", and "sea rabbit". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.
Image: Berghia coerulescens (Laurillard, 1830)
Image: Chromodoris lochi (AA3)
Glaucus atlanticus is an example of a nudibranch that has its cerata positioned like wings instead of on its back.
Nudibranchs (Nembrotha kubaryana) eating Clavelina tunicate colonies