Variety is the spice of underwater life

For some time now, the La Jolla Ecological Reserve has been inundated with brooding anemones. They are everywhere, their bright color polka-dotting substrates from algae, rocks and even the shells of some animals. Many slug species rarely seen here have been popping up, maybe in part due to the bumper crop of E. prolifera. What I find especially interesting is capturing nudibranchs in the midst of chomping an anemone snack and noting the color shifts of familiar and unusual sea slugs due to diet. Examples here show brooding anemones and the nudibranchs Hermissenda crassicornis and Aeolidia papillosa, displaying permanent (genetic) color or temporary (diet).