In my previous articles, I talked about Okinawa’s underwater life and shipwrecks. Today I want to talk about nudibranchs. If you like macro photography like me, Okinawa is the place for you.
Nudibranchs, also known as sea rabbits or shellless snails, are actually related to the snails or slugs we know from terrestrial life. I think they are the most colorful, delicate and fascinating creatures of the oceans. Nudibranchs, which I can watch for countless minutes without getting bored, come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Some are as small as a grain of rice, while others can be the size of a plate. Their bodies are decorated with spines, tentacles and elaborate gills.
Finding a nudibranches is a matter of patience. Since they are small in size, sometimes you look for them during the whole dive but you still can’t find them. When you find them, you should remember that Sea Nudibranches are very slow moving and sensitive creatures with underdeveloped protection mechanisms.
It is very important for the protection of these creatures that your buoyancy is very well adjusted and that there is little or no contact with the bottom structure.
Nudibranches have a wide variety of eating habits, but they mainly feed on sponges, anemones and small organisms. If you look closely you can see that they tear their food apart with a small, tongue-like organ.
There are Nudibranches that are carnivorous, but don’t be scared off, they usually prefer to feed on small worm-like creatures. I witnessed a nudibranches eating another Nudibranches in Republic of Palau!!!
There are more than 3000 known species of Nudibranches in the world’s waters and if you follow the forum pages regularly you will see that new species are often discovered.
Some Nudibranches species can live for years, while others only live for a few months. They are hermaphroditic, meaning that they reproduce in partners.
After this brief introduction, let’s return to Okinawa. The reason why this region is so rich is that it is located in the Coral Triangle in the west of the Pacific Ocean.
Okinawa is home to about 1400 different species of the 3000 known species of Nudibranches, and is located in a region where the water temperature is warm throughout the year, meaning that the entire coastline is dotted with coral, which is shallow and nutrient-rich, just the way these creatures like it. The coral reefs provide the Nudibranches with food, while the rocks and seagrass beds offer ideal hiding places.
In addition to hiding,Nudibranches have developed some small protection mechanisms, such as camouflage skills and some chemicals they release to protect themselves.
Nudibranches are not without their natural enemies, though. Due to their colorful and vulnerable appearance, they can be eaten by Pufferfish, Butterflyfish and some more. I have seen some large StarFish species eating nudibranches in the Bahamas, and crabs are among the species that can pose a risk to these beautiful creatures.
I hope this article has been informative about Okinawa’s underwater life as well as helping you get to know these little creatures a little better.
