Gas flame nudibranch and anemone

Sea life: Nudibranch bonanza

Gas flame nudibranch at Partridge Point
Gas flame nudibranch at Partridge Point

I never, ever get tired of nudibranchs. They are insanely colourful, and the satisfaction I feel when I spot one on a dive is immense. We had a beautiful dive at Partridge Point in February, and I found scores of them, mainly blue gas flame nudibranchs (which look gorgeous against the reds and oranges all over the reef). Here are some of the photos… Just because they’re beautiful!

Gas flame nudibranch
Gas flame nudibranch
Another gas flame nudibranch
Another gas flame nudibranch

On this next nudibranch you can see his rhinophores quite clearly, the olfactory (smelling) sense organs. They’re on the left hand side of his body (the front) in this photo, like a snail’s little horns. They don’t have blue tips – they’re yellow all the way to the end.

Gas flame nudibranch
Gas flame nudibranch

Here’s a couple of orange gas flame nudibranchs just for a change – both at Partridge Point. I always think they look a little like hedgehogs.

Orange gas flame nudibranch
Orange gas flame nudibranch
Orange gas flame nudibranch
Orange gas flame nudibranch

I also found a white gas flame nudibranch at Long Beach for the first time ever – I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting orange clubbed nudibranchs there, but never seen one of these guys before. Long Beach continues to surprise!

Gas flame nudibranch at Long Beach
Gas flame nudibranch at Long Beach

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Clare

Lapsed mathematician, creator of order, formulator of hypotheses. Lover of the ocean, being outdoors, the bush, reading, photography, travelling (especially in Africa) and road trips.

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