 |
 |
Even
though sea slugs, or nudibranchs, come in brilliant colors and patterns,
Cousteau photographers must look sharply to spot them. Small, sometimes
less than an inch long, and often nocturnal, these beauties are not
easy to capture through a lens. |
 |
| Unlike
many birds or fishes, the nudibranchs' flashy colors are not a mating
signal. Sea slugs have such poor eyesight they can barely distinguish
light and shadow, much less patterns. Their blues and reds and
yellows are for defense, to help them hide or to warn a predator that
they taste bad. In many cases, the sea slug's hues come from the color
of its prey, as a kind of camouflage. One species turns the blue
of its favorite sponge. Another takes on the pink of rosy bryozoans
on which it feeds. No wonder they're hard to see! |
|
