page_title: Nudibranch
section_title: Lifecycle
hierarchical_section_title: Nudibranch / Lifecycle
caption_attribution_description: English: Nudibranch Acanthodoris lutea at California tide pools is laying eggs. Français&#160;: Le Nudibranche Acanthodoris lutea pond ses œufs dans une flaque d'eau de mer laissée par la marée.
context_page_description: Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to match, such as "clown," "marigold," "splendid," "dancer," "dragon," or "sea rabbit." Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.
  The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus "naked" and the Ancient Greek βράγχια "gills".
  Nudibranchs are often casually called sea slugs, as they are a family of opistobranchs, within the phylum Mollusca, but many sea slugs belong to several taxonomic groups which are not closely related to nudibranchs. A number of these other sea slugs, such as the photosynthetic Sacoglossa and the colourful Aglajidae, are often confused with nudibranchs.
context_section_description: Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, thus have a set of reproductive organs for both sexes, but they cannot fertilize themselves. Mating usually takes a few minutes, and involves a dance-like courtship. Nudibranchs typically deposit their eggs within a gelatinous spiral, which is often described as looking like a ribbon.  The number of eggs varies; it can be as few as just 1 or 2 eggs (Vayssierea felis) or as many as an estimated 25 million (Aplysia fasciata). The eggs contain toxins from sea sponges as a means of deterring predators. After hatching, the infants look almost identical to their adult counterparts, albeit smaller. Infants may also have fewer cerata. The lifespan of nudibranchs can range from a few weeks to a year, depending on the species.
caption: Acanthodoris lutea laying eggs
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