Seep into the slimy, shimmery world of this sea slug. Found across the world’s oceans, nudibranchs are relatively small, but their vibrantly colored shell-less bodices of varying shapes more than make up for their size. Most wear their horn and feather-like gills on their backs, earning them the name ‘naked gills’ in the scientific community. There are over 2,000 known and identified species of nudibranchs, with new ones being discovered regularly. 
 Their bright coloring, which helps them camouflage and scare away predators, is derived from the food they eat. Nudibranchs are carnivorous bottom-dwellers, scouring sea floors for algae, corals, anemones, sponges, and sometimes even other nudibranchs. They also carry both female and male organs, giving them the ability to reproduce with any other member of the species. Shown above is a Flabellina iodinea in Los Angeles, California. Video by @waterbod Source: National Geographic