: any of an order (Nudibranchia) of marine opisthobranch mollusks without a shell in the adult state and without true gills
nudibranchadjective
Illustration of nudibranch
Examples of nudibranch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe sad coda to the story was reading about his death in World War I. —Mike Van Roo | Diamond Bar, California
Amazing Mollusks
What a wonderful story about the colorful and interesting nudibranchs!—Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024 As the nudibranch tries to grasp its prey, the prey fires its tiny harpoons at the nudibranch.—Helen Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024 Clown nudibranchs have flat orange patches on the sides of their translucent white or yellowish-white bodies.—Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 Notable diners include sea turtles, ocean sunfish, and somewhat distant cousins of the octopus, nudibranchs, which will consume jellies and other cnidarians while somehow keeping their stinging cells in tact so they can be repurposed for the nudibranch's defense.—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2017 Notable diners include sea turtles, ocean sunfish, and somewhat distant cousins of the octopus, nudibranchs, which will consume jellies and other cnidarians while somehow keeping their stinging cells in tact so they can be repurposed for the nudibranch's defense.—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2017 Best known for: The coral reefs, located to the south of Koh Phangan on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand, are colorful and packed with a diverse range of marine life which ranges from mighty whale sharks and majestic manta rays to exquisite nudibranch and macro-critters.—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2021 The Glaucus is considered to be a type of pelagic nudibranch that devours bluebottles and stores their stinging agents as defense against predators.—Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2023 With over 3,000 different species on record, the nudibranch is an extremely versatile kind of sea slug.—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin Nudibranchia, from Latin nudus + Greek branchia gills
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