Non-indigenous sea slug Tenellia adspersa in the southeast coast of the Arabian Sea, India

Abstract

Nudibranchs are gastropod molluscs belonging to suborder Opisthobranchia. They are easily identified based on their shell-less bodies and a pair of rhinophores (tentacles) on the dorsal side of the head. These organisms are stunningly colourful, hence are often called ‘butterflies of the ocean’. About 3000 species of Nudibranchs are known globally1, and 311 species have been reported from India2. Tenellia adspersa is a tiny nudibranch, commonly known as lagoon sea slug or miniature aeolis.