Beachcombing - Sargassum Nudibranch 

Sargassum Nudibranchs are washing up this week! You’ve probably walked right by these little creatures and never knew they were there because they look like a small yellowish blob on the beach and look exactly like sargassum seaweed. These are actually mollusks! Yes, a snail without an external shell. Sometimes called a sea slug, of which there are about 200 species around the world. The sargassum nudibranch feeds on hydroids within the sargassum seaweed. The slug can swim, but it is erratic, with it flipping its head and tail around to make movement around the water column. Each individual has both male and female reproductive organs and they lay their eggs in the sargassum, which look like a clear jelly blob with a yellow squiggly line it that are the eggs. Birds are quick to eat them when they wash up. Watch this episode of Beachcombing with Jace Tunnell to see some amazing footage of its violent swimming pattern, how it mimics sargassum seaweed, and up-close shots of their eggs.