40. Orchids of the Sea

This post was put together for its title, a phrase that was the immediate reaction of Dave Pye, an orchid keeper, when I showed him some nudibranch photos a few weeks ago. The post features a couple of particularly orchidean nudis. The animal above is Flabellina rubrolineata, and the one below isFavorinus tsuruganus.*Both animals were just a centimeter or so long.

Orchids are plants related to asparagus, onions, and grasses. Nudibranchs are animals related to slugs and snails. Orchids have...