Gastropods · Nudibranchia · Discodorididae

Bohol Discodoris

Discodoris boholiensis

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

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

OceanCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Ocean Mollusc

31countries 70dive 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.