What are Sea Slugs?

About Sea Slugs:

• Sea slugs belong to Phylum Mollusca and Class Gastropoda. They look like naked snails, i.e., without shells.
• Sea slugs are found in the sea and some slugs live on land as well.
• A unique species of nudibranch sea slugs were documented on the Visakhapatnam shore.
• These sea slugs are found in places with abundant prey bases which may vary from sponges, hydroids and algae.
• The nudibranchs are usually found in coral reefs and their presence is a significant indicator of a strong coral ecosystem.
• They mainly feed on algae and are usually seen in large numbers when there is an algal bloom.
• Most nudibranchs are active throughout the day, but some species are also nocturnal.

Q1) What are Molluscs?

Molluscs are a clade of organisms that all have soft bodies which typically have a “head” and a “foot” region. Often their bodies are covered by a hard exoskeleton, as in the shells of snails and clams or the plates of chitons.

Source:  A citizen science project documents unique sea slugs from Visakhapatnam coast

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