Postcard from the Reef – Nudi Eggs

A little spiral on a rock, an odd looking thing, a bright white against the reds and yellows of the sponges. I spotted the spiral from some distance away across the cave. But I know what to look for, sweeping the rock with my dive light.

The nudibranch themselves are nearby, on the same face of the rock. I find three white-margin nudibranch, two quite large at about 3cm, the largest I have seen this species. A much smaller specimen is close by, less than half the length of the adult. These are a handsome species, always nice to find.

White-margin Nudibranch Egg Mass
White-margin Nudibranch (Glossodoris rufomarginata) egg mass

I am surprised that the eggs are not quickly eaten by fish or other predators. There must be some defense mechanism in play, a foul taste, a toxin, nudibranch are known to employ such tactics.

White-margin Nudibranch
A pair of White-margin Nudibranch (Glossodoris rufomarginata), 25ft depth at O'oma

Author: Andrew

An electrical engineer, amateur astronomer, and diver, living and working on the island of Hawaiʻi.

One thought on “Postcard from the Reef – Nudi Eggs”

  1. When I first saw the first photo, I thought it was some sort of a dish. Haha! But looking closely, I appreciate how these creatures exist and how amazing they look.

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