# Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch (*ceratodoris rosacea*) The Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch is a breathtakingly vibrant sea slug native to the rocky tide pools of the North American Pacific coast. Resembling a tiny, glowing pink flower, this sea slug captures the imagination of tide-poolers and marine biologists alike. Its intense rose-pink coloration and elegant form make it one of the most recognizable marine invertebrates in its range, serving as a brilliant example of specialized ecological adaptation. Despite its delicate, soft appearance, it is a hardy survivor in the turbulent and highly competitive intertidal zone. - **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Found in rocky intertidal tide pools and shallow reefs along the Pacific coast, often clinging to the undersides of damp rocks. ![Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/21002/medium.jpg) Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/21002) ## Appearance This small sea slug grows up to 3 centimeters in length and is covered in long, soft, tapering pink papillae that closely resemble flower petals or thick tentacles. Its entire body, including its sensory rhinophores and gills, is a uniform, brilliant shade of rose-pink, which helps it blend seamlessly with the pink bryozoan colonies it colonizes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Mollusca - **Class:** Gastropoda - **Order:** Nudibranchia - **Family:** Goniodorididae - **Genus:** Ceratodoris ## Interesting facts - During warm-water ocean events like El Niño, these southern nudibranchs undergo massive population blooms and expand their range far northward into Oregon. - Their bright pink color serves as warning coloration (aposematism) to warn predators of their terrible taste and toxic chemicals. - They lay their eggs in beautiful, rose-pink, gelatinous ribbons that are coiled and glued directly onto rocky substrates near their food source. ## Special abilities - **Chemical Co-option:** It extracts defensive chemical compounds and pink pigments from its prey, incorporating them into its own body for color and toxicity. - **Autotomy of Papillae:** It can shed its long, delicate papillae when threatened by a predator, leaving them behind as a distraction while it crawls away. - **Chemosensory Tracking:** Uses specialized rhinophores on its head to detect chemical trails left by its preferred food source in the water. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 1-3 cm - **Weight:** 0.001-0.005 kg - **Lifespan:** 1 years - **Clutch Size:** 100-2000 - **Incubation:** 10-20 days ## Diet & Feeding Feeds almost exclusively on rose-colored encrusting bryozoans, acquiring nourishment and its iconic pigmentation. - **Primary Foods:** Rosy Bryozoan - **Foraging Method:** Grazing精/foraging (grazing) Check: Grazing Is Valid. Let's Use Grazing. Wait, The Prompt Says 'huntingmethod: Pursuit, Ambush, Foraging, Grazing, Filtering, Etc.' So 'grazing' Is Perfect. Let's Use 'grazing'. Check: Primaryfoods Is Array. Let's Write \["rosy Bryozoan","integrispora Alata"\]. Let's Keep It Simple. Let's Write: \["rosy Bryozoan","encrusting Bryozoans"\]. Let's Set 'grazing' For Huntingmethod. Let's Write 'larvae Are Planktonic And Feed On Microscopic Plankton Before Settling And Undergoing Metamorphosis.' For Dietchangeswithage. Let's Make Sure It's Valid Json. Let's Write: "dietchangeswithage":"larvae Are Planktonic And Feed On Plankton Before Settling And Transitioning To A Bryozoan Diet." ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Rosy Bryozoan (*Integrispora alata*) — Feeds exclusively on this rosy encrusting bryozoan, acquiring both its nourishment and its striking pink pigment. - **Eaten by:** [California Aglaja](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-aglaja) (*Navanax inermis*) — Preys upon various nudibranchs, including the Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch, in coastal tide pool ecosystems. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch? Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch? 1-3 cm ### How much does Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch weigh? 0.001-0.005 kg ### How long does Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch live? 1 years ### What does Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch eat? Feeds almost exclusively on rose-colored encrusting bryozoans, acquiring nourishment and its iconic pigmentation. ### Where is Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch usually found? Found in rocky intertidal tide pools and shallow reefs along the Pacific coast, often clinging to the undersides of damp rocks. ### How does Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch hunt? Grazing精/foraging (grazing) Check: Grazing Is Valid. Let's Use Grazing. Wait, The Prompt Says 'huntingmethod: Pursuit, Ambush, Foraging, Grazing, Filtering, Etc.' So 'grazing' Is Perfect. Let's Use 'grazing'. Check: Primaryfoods Is Array. Let's Write \["rosy Bryozoan","integrispora Alata"\]. Let's Keep It Simple. Let's Write: \["rosy Bryozoan","encrusting Bryozoans"\]. Let's Set 'grazing' For Huntingmethod. Let's Write 'larvae Are Planktonic And Feed On Microscopic Plankton Before Settling And Undergoing Metamorphosis.' For Dietchangeswithage. Let's Make Sure It's Valid Json. Let's Write: "dietchangeswithage":"larvae Are Planktonic And Feed On Plankton Before Settling And Transitioning To A Bryozoan Diet." ### How many eggs does Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch lay? 100-2000 ## Where to spot - [Cabrillo National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrillo-national-monument) — California, US · National Park - [Crystal Cove Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crystal-cove-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Naval Air Station North Island](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naval-air-station-north-island) — California, US · Historic Site - [Sherman Library and Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sherman-library-and-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hopkins-rose-nudibranch) ## More Invertebrate - [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral) - [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*) - [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*) - [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*) --- Source: [Hopkins' Rose Nudibranch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hopkins-rose-nudibranch)