Golden Dirona Nudibranch

Golden Dirona Nudibranch

Today we are featuring the Golden Dirona Nudibranch (Dirona pellucida).

These macro critters can grow to be 12 cm long, a larger species within the nudibranch family. They are easily identified by their orange to red-orange colouring with white tips on their cerata, the spiky leaf -shaped structures on their backs. The cerata are used for defense and also aid in the respiration of this nudibranch. 

Golden dirona live in the intertidal zones along the coast from the Bering Sea down to Oregon and all the way to Korea and Japan. They can be found as far down as 60 meters. 

They primarily feed on bryozoans (small invertebrates living in colonies with a mossy appearance) and hydroids. 

These small creatures have many predators and due to their flashy colours these nudibranchs stand out brightly against their environment. The top predators include crabs, large fish and birds. 

Golden dirona are hermaphrodites, having both male and female organs they are capable of self-fertilization but this is very rare and will most often fertilize each other's eggs. 

Be sure to tune into our Instagram every weekend for our weekly Sea Creature Feature.

Happy bubbles and safe diving everyone! 🫧