The second in an exciting new series of blogs introducing some of the amazing marine life you can encounter at Magic Resorts in the Philippines…

Some interesting facts!

Who doesn’t love nudibranchs? These tiny little creatures catch everybody’s interest because of their cute appearance, bright colors and last but not least, there are thousands of different species!

Although the word “nudibranchs” sounds as cute as the creature itself, the word actually comes from both Latin and Greek: Nudus (naked in Latin) and bránkhia (gills in Greek). The reason? The gills on their back are completely uncovered! Some things are just so simple.

Nudibranchs are also called nudis or sea slugs. All the nudibranchs are sea slugs, but not all sea slugs are nudibranchs. Some can swim and some are even toxic (or pretend to be!) But don’t worry, they won’t have enough toxin to harm humans: it’s only to protect themselves from predators or those who pretend to be toxic.

Another funny fact about nudibranchs is that they are hermaphrodites, which means they are intersex: all nudibranch (“male” or “female”) can be pregnant and can lay a million eggs at one time!

Although there are thousands of different species, there are basically only two major types of them: Dorid & Aeolid nudibranchs.

Dorid nudibranchs breathe through the gills on their back, which look like a little tree of gills. Aeolid nudibranchs have cerata or finger-like strings on their back that function as breathing, digestion, and defense apparatus. They also have variations of shapes: rose-like, club-shaped, clustered, thread-like, and branched. Aeolid nudibranchs can use their cerata for defense and some kinds of nudis can excrete toxin or acid from their body if they are threatened.

Come and dive with Magic Oceans Dive Resort and let the guides show you their nudibranch paradise! On top, their in-house marine biologist can tell you much more about these creatures during the seminar (free of charge)!

Some general facts!

• There are more than 3000 species of nudibranchs worldwide and new ones are discovered almost daily. Which ones have you already seen
• Their size varies from less than 0.5 inch (Shaun the Sheep) to 35 inch (Spanish Dancer)!

• Nudis can be found in many places all over the world: coral reefs, seagrass beds or sandy bottoms. Did you know that you can also find some species in the Southern/Antarctic Ocean?
• Nudibranchs don’t live very long. Some die within a month, others survive for only a year.

Visit Magic Oceans Anda, Bohol and Magic Island Moalboal, Cebu… find out more at www.magicresorts.online.

Also on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!