Gloomy Nudibranch

Tambja Morosa

This somber nudibranch glides across the reef in deep midnight tones, its charcoal-black body washed with subtle hints of indigo and slate. Thin streaks of electric blue trace faint lines along its mantle, while its rhinophores and feathery gills rise in muted violet hues, giving the animal a dark, brooding elegance that lives up to its gloomy name.

Size: Up to 70 mm
Range: Indo-Pacific; from Japan and Taiwan to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea
Habitat / Depth: Coral reefs and rocky substrates, found at depths of 5–30 m
Diet: Feeds on bryozoans, particularly species within the genus Sessibugula.