montereybayaquarium:

Make way, sea slug parade floats coming through! If Mardi Gras happened in the ocean, we’re pretty sure Spanish shawl nudibranchs would lead the revelry.

More than just a pretty slug, a nudibranch’s gaudy colors warn off hungry predators—their bright orange fringe holds potent weapons! As a nudibranch grazes on anemones, it transfers unfired stinging cells into the tips of the cerrata on its back. For a tiny slug, that’s some serious defense!

(Photo: Dan Hershman)