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  3. Bohol Discodoris

One of the 4 nudibranchs on WAnimals

Gastropods · Nudibranchia · Discodorididae

Bohol Discodoris

Discodoris boholiensis

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria.

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A large nudibranch with a flattened mantle, brown with dark blotches and a rough texture that camouflages it against the substrate. It feeds on sponges and is active mainly at night.

Size

6 cm – 12 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

Ocean
31countries70dive sites

Fun facts

  • It can deliberately shed fragments of the edge of its mantle to distract a predator, a form of autotomy uncommon among nudibranchs.
  • It self-mutilates to escape: when attacked it sheds pieces of its mantle margin, which writhe and distract the predator while it flees. The margin regenerates afterwards.
  • That shed tissue is loaded with irritant compounds derived from the sponges it eats.
  • Its mottled brown colouring camouflages it against the reef substrate.
  • Like other dorid nudibranchs, it breathes through a plume of feathery gills at the rear of its back, which it withdraws at the slightest alarm.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Invertebrate - no rigid skeleton (mollusc)
Habitat and environment
Reefs and rocky bottoms of the Indo-Pacific, from 0 to 30 m

Sources consulted: Bergh (1877); Rudman, Sea Slug Forum; estudios de autotomía en Discodoris; anatomia de Gastropoda

Where to find it

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Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 70.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Bohol Discodoris — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

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Based on what we already know about bohol discodoris.

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See full glossary
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The pins mark the dive sites where its presence is documented.

See its range on the interactive map→
Raja AmpatIndonesia
Komodo National ParkIndonesia
Bunaken Marine ParkIndonesia
USAT Liberty (Tulamben)Indonesia
Amed and Jemeluk BayIndonesia
Menjangan Island (Bali Barat)Indonesia
Nusa Penida (Manta Point / Crystal Bay)Indonesia
Lembeh StraitIndonesia
Wakatobi National ParkIndonesia
Banda IslandsIndonesia
See all 70 dive sites
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Not Evaluated

Anna's Chromodoris

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CountriesIndonesia
TagsCarnivore
Carnivore
Nocturnal
Solitary
Ocean
Mollusc

Asia16

Africa14

Oceania1

Indonesia
Philippines
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Thailand
Australia
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
India
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Israel
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