Velvet Headsheild Snails
Scientific Name: Chelidonura varians
Species: Sea Slugs (Aglajidae)
Other names: Headshild Slugs, Velvet Sea Slug, Tailed Slugs, Velvet Nudibranch, Blue Velvet Nudibranch, Velvet Blue Nudi, Blue Velvet Sea Slug, Blue Velvet Slug, Blue Velvet Headshield Slug, Blue Lined Nudibranch, Hammerhead Nudibranch, Hammerhead Sea Slug, Blue-lined Sandflat Snail, Blue Doris.
Some Images
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Velvet Headsheild SnailsUploaded by: @fishx6 in February 2007
Photographed at: Mirihi Island Resort - Maldives
Caption: No caption available
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Velvet Headsheild SnailsUploaded by: @fishx6 in February 2007
Photographed at: Mirihi Island Resort - Maldives
Caption: No caption available
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Velvet Headsheild SnailsUploaded by: @fishx6 in August 2008
Photographed at: Lembeh Resort - Indonesia
Caption: No caption available
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Velvet Headsheild SnailsUploaded by: @fishx6 in August 2008
Photographed at: Lembeh Resort - Indonesia
Caption: No caption available
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Velvet Headsheild SnailsUploaded by: @blogie in August 2011
Photographed at: Angel's Cove, Talicud Island, Island Garden City of Samal - Philippines
Caption: Photo by Rodney Jao
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Velvet Headsheild SnailsUploaded by: @blogie in July 2011
Photographed at: Marissa 2 Dive Site, Island Garden City of Samal - Philippines
Caption: No caption available
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Description
Often referred to as 'Nudibranchs' (but they are not), Headshild Slugs, Velvet Sea Slug, Tailed Slugs, Velvet Nudibranch, Blue Velvet Nudibranch, Velvet Blue Nudi, Blue Velvet Sea Slug, Blue Velvet Slug, Blue Velvet Headshield Slug, Blue Lined Nudibranch, Hammerhead Nudibranch, Hammerhead Sea Slug, Blue-lined Sandflat Snail and Blue Doris.
Found singly or in pairs on coral and rocky reefs amongst sand and rubble areas.
They feed on nudibranchs & other gastropods,hydroids, coral, sponges and anemones.
Length - 3cm
Depth - 2-20m
Widespread Indo-Pacific
Cephalaspidea or Head Shield Snails are of the Opisthobranchia group,some of which still have a shell. The head shield from which this group attain their name, is a broadened part of the head,used to dig into the sand and protect the snail.
All opisthobranchs are hermaphrodites.
These beautiful slugs are usually brilliantly coloured as a deterrent against opportunistic predators. Some sea slugs secrete acid from stinging cells in their tentacles while others secrete acid from cells in their mantle.
They are slow moving, can swim or be propelled along either by muscular contraction or by millions of tiny hairs on the bottom of a fleshy 'foot', they have a voracious appetite and feed with a rasp like tongue.
They lay their eggs in a ribbon effect on the sand, in different colours depending on species.
Their main predator are other Sea slugs. Ref: http://www.weichtiere.at/english/gastropoda/sea/cephalaspidea.html
Spotted
The Velvet Headsheild Snails is found in or near the Indo-Pacific region(s) and has been photographed 6 times by users @fishx6 @blogie
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Hi there, this is not a nudibranch, but a cephalaspidean, only distantly related to nudibranchs. Kind regards Robert
Robert Nordsieck
16. Dec. 2010