| Hermissenda crassicornis | |
|---|---|
| A pair of Hermissenda crassicornis in a Central California tide pool | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Aeolidioidea |
| Family: | Glaucidae |
| Genus: | Hermissenda |
| Species: | H. crassicornis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hermissenda crassicornis Eschscholtz, 1831 |
|
Hermissenda crassicornis is a species of small, brightly-colored, sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Glaucidae.
This species is also commonly known as the "opalescent sea slug."
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This nudibranch lives from Kodiak Island, Alaska, to Punta Eugenia, Mexico.
The species has also been observed in Bahia de los Angeles, Gulf of California, and in Japan.[1]
It can be found in various habitats, including the intertidal zone of rocky shores, but also in bays and estuaries.
The species grows to be about 50 mm, or about 2 inches. The color of this nudibranch varies from one locality to another, but it is always easily recognizable by the orange stripe along its back.
This nudibranch feeds on hydroids and other marine organisms such as ascidians and sea anemones. It sometimes attacks other nudibranchs, and will eat smaller specimens of its own species.