Hooded Nudibranch

Photo: Karolle Wall · CC BY-NC

Hooded nudibranchs swarm the kelp fronds and anemone fields at Dodd Narrows in summer, their translucent bodies and flapping cerata making them resemble miniature jellyfish. Unlike most nudibranchs they are active swimmers, releasing their grip on the substrate and undulating through the water when disturbed. They trap small crustaceans with an oral hood that expands like a net — a completely unique feeding strategy among nudibranchs — and emit a distinctive smell described as watermelon or sweet fruit.