Bushy-Backed Nudibranch (Dendronotus venustus)

Description: The bushy-backed nudibranch is named for the two rows of branching bush-like appendages down its back. Their overall color can be various shades of off-white, green, or brown including the body and back appendages. The bottom of their foot is often a lighter color than the body. They can get up to 5 cm, but in the tide pools we more often see them 1.5-3 cm long.

Habitat:  Bushy-backed nudibranchs live from northern Alaska to northern Mexico. They tend to be around the rocks or seaweeds from the low intertidal zone down to the subtidal depths of 400 m!

Diet: These nudibranchs feed mostly on hydroids like the ostrich-plume hydroid found at Haystack Rock.

Tide Pool Tidbits:

• This species used to be considered Dendronotus frondosus but was then split as D. fronsosus is now considered a European/Atlantic species.

• Bushy-backed nudibranchs are also found on floats and in bays, especially in the summer.

References: The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest by J Duane Sept, Walla Walla University