This is a cute dorid, one that is a joy to watch as it moves across its sponge prey. Apparently, northern animals (such as those found in the Salish Sea) differ significantly from their southern counterparts and those that tend to be found closer to the wilder coast of Vancouver Island. The Diaulula odonoghuei has numerous brown spots/circles on their bodies and they can appear to have slightly darker mantles. The Diaulula sandiegensis, on the other hand, has fewer spots and they tend to have a ringed appearance. For a more comprehensive look at how these species were separated taxonomically, please see Linda Schroeder’s excellent article on the differences between them. Spotted Leopard Dorids are known to grow to 10 cm or 4 inches and are easily spotted. The first image in this gallery is of a juvenile. It was no larger than .5″ or 12 mm and there were at least five others in the area. Check out the Sea Slug Forum for more discussion on their colour differentiation and taxonomic history.
