Ocellated Wart Slug

Ocellated Wart Slug
Phyllidia Ocellata

Warm orange-gold spreads across this chunky little nudibranch, broken by bold black rings that encircle raised white and yellow tubercles along its back. The bumps give its body an almost armored texture, while smaller spots gather toward the edges and the yellow rhinophores peek out from the front. It has a wonderfully odd combination of softness and structure, like a creature covered in tiny knobs that someone has carefully arranged into a pattern.

• Size: Up to around 70 mm
• Range: Indo-Pacific; from the Red Sea across the tropical Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia to the western Pacific
• Habitat / Depth: Coral reefs and rocky reef areas, typically from around 1–45 m
• Diet: Feeds on sponges, including Higginsia massalis