Nanaimo Dorid
Acanthodoris nanaimoensis
Marine Invertebrates
Rocky subtidal habitat
iNaturalist record: Apr 2022
Meet this species
The Nanaimo dorid is a northeastern Pacific nudibranch and one of several sea slug species documented around Greene Point. Nudibranchs have lost the protective adult shell typical of many other gastropods and instead display extraordinary colours, textures and exposed respiratory structures.
Nanaimo dorid sea slug moving across rocky subtidal habitat near Greene Point.
What to look for:
Look for a pale-bodied nudibranch with contrasting darker markings, soft projections along the body and a branching gill plume toward the rear. Its small size and camouflage against the seafloor can make careful searching necessary.
Why It Matters Here:
Finding several different nudibranch species in the same broader landscape emphasizes how much biodiversity exists below the obvious scale of sea stars, kelp and large anemones. Greene Point rewards looking closely.
Field Record
Documented at Greene Point through field observations and photographs recorded on iNaturalist.