Regal Sea Goddess

Regal Sea Goddess

Felimare picta

This bold nudibranch moves across the reef like a painted banner, its deep cobalt-blue mantle streaked with winding black lines that form flowing, calligraphic patterns along its back. A broad ribbon of bright yellow frames its body, while its tall rhinophores and feathery gill plume rise in matching yellow, giving the animal a vivid, heraldic presence that is unmistakable even from a distance.

Size: Up to 70 mm
Range: Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean; from Portugal and Spain through the Mediterranean Sea and parts of West Africa
Habitat / Depth: Rocky reefs and sponge-covered substrates, found at depths of 5–40 m
Diet: Feeds on sponges, particularly species within the family Dysideidae.