Head to head
Clown Nudibranch vs Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
The clown nudibranch and the Spanish shawl nudibranch both bring vivid colour to the cold coastal waters of the Pacific, but they rely on different foods and different defensive strategies to survive.
| Clown Nudibranch | Spanish Shawl Nudibranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Triopha catalinae | Flabellina iodinea |
| Diet | Bryozoans | Hydroids |
| Colouring | Bright orange tubercles on a pale body | Deep purple body with bright orange cerata |
| Defence strategy | Warning colouration from an unpalatable taste | Stolen stinging cells from its prey |
| Body covering | Tubercles and gill projections | Finger-like cerata |
| Movement | A relatively slow mover | A relatively active mover |
| Habitat | Rocky coastal waters | Rocky coastal waters and kelp forests |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |
Clown Nudibranch vs Spanish Shawl Nudibranch: common questions
How do the clown nudibranch and Spanish shawl nudibranch defend themselves differently?
The clown nudibranch relies on warning colouration linked to an unpalatable taste in its own body, while the Spanish shawl nudibranch steals undischarged stinging cells from the hydroids it eats and repurposes them for its own defence.
Which of the two is a faster mover, the clown nudibranch or the Spanish shawl nudibranch?
The Spanish shawl nudibranch is generally considered a more active mover than the clown nudibranch, which moves comparatively slowly across rocks and algae.
Do the clown nudibranch and Spanish shawl nudibranch eat the same food?
No, the clown nudibranch feeds mainly on bryozoans, small colonial invertebrates encrusting rocks, while the Spanish shawl nudibranch feeds on hydroids, a different group of stinging colonial invertebrates.