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nudibranch

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
nudibranch: see sea slug sea slug, name for a marine gastropod mollusk that lacks a shell as an adult and is usually brightly colored. Sea slugs, or nudibranchs, are distributed throughout the world, with the greatest numbers and the largest kinds found in tropical waters.
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nudibranch

 or sea slug

Any marine gastropod in the order Nudibranchia. Most nudibranchs lack a shell, mantle cavity (see mollusk), and gills, and breathe through the body surface. The delicately colored body, up to 16 in. (43 cm) long, has bizarre defensive outgrowths, called cerata, that discharge nematocysts ingested from cnidarian prey. Antennalike organs arise from the head. Nudibranchs occur in shallow waters of all oceans, where they feed chiefly on other invertebrates, particularly sea anemones. Some species can swim; others are bottom creepers. The term sea slug sometimes refers to all members of the subclass Opisthobranchia.



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Knowledgeably co-authored by Nudibranch enthusiasts David W.
1 -- color --ran in AV edition only) A nudibranch, looking fringed like the Spanish shawl that gave it its common name, moves gracefully near Santa Cruz Island.
 
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