Porites Nudibranch, Tenellia lugubris

The only way I have ever been able to find this nudibranch is via its eggs.  They lay stunning white, lacy, looping eggs that flare out from the centre and are often clustered.  Their colour varies according to their food source, and can be anywhere from a dull brown/grey to brownish/orange to bright yellow. Look for broken bits of porites coral crashing in shallow lagoons and you may be able to find these beauties. They feed on the coral and tend to lay their eggs there as well.  All animals photographed here were found in less than 2 metres of water in the South Makena and Ma’alaea area of Maui.  To 21 mm, or just less than 1″.  According to Sea Slugs of Hawaii, their life span from egg to egg is about 4 1/2 months.

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