Whenever I get an nice, or unusual, shot of a nudibranch, I like to send it in to the Australian Natural History Museum's excellent Sea Slug Forum.

This is a database and forum to exchange information and identification of these interesting and photogenic invertebrates. Moderated by Dr. Bill Rudman, scientists, divers, students and researchers exchange information and photos to further their understanding of these critters.

Underwater photographers love to shoot these invertibrates, as they are unusual and are generally brightly colored. Best of all they move slowly! But identifying them can be a real challenge and scientists love to see photos of their behavior and what they eat, etc.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a huge range of nudibranchs in a large range of color, size and variety. I have a set of recent photos at: Flickr Nudibranchs.

I shot this dorid while in Mexico and sent it in. Bill enjoyed seeing it, as not many have been sent in from the Pacific, where they are native. Most have been found in the Atlantic, thought to be brought in ballast water from freighters. See: Glossodoris sedna from Revillagigedos Islands, Mexico.

A couple of my photos are being used as catalog images in the forum, of which I am most proud to played some small part in advancing science. See Dendronotus diversicolor and Dendronotus dalli.