The Denison’s Dendrodoris (Dendrodoris denisoni) nudibranch is a species that is common through out the waters of the Indo-West Pacific region. It has been recorded in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, South Africa, Hawaii and the Philippines. The species can vary considerably in appearance and colour and can be mistaken for a similar looking species known as Dendrodoris gunnamatta. The most obvious feature of Dendrodoris denisoni is the fluorescent blue spots that can be found all over the body and it’s large ‘bushy’ gills. It is a sponge feeding dorid nudibranch and species of Dendrodoris lack the special teeth [or radula] found in most sponge-feeding dorids. They feed by releasing digestive juices out of their mouth so that the sponge they are trying to eat dissolves into a softer form that can then be sucked into their mouths.
The Dendrodoris denisoni nudibranch grows to a maximum size of approximately 8cm.
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