I’m not sure how common this tiny tiny nudibranch is, but I do know it fits extremely well into its surroundings. I found the first one while I was kayaking on some flattened eelgrass beds back in 2009. It was no more than 8mm and barely visible to the naked eye — they blend in so well with the bryzoans on which they feed. My camera caught it before I did. Sixteen years later, I have found two more — this time on kelp in the upper subtidal (both about 8 mm). Their eggs can appear a bit pinkish and that’s what pushed me to look a bit more closely for something “new and different” on the leaf kelp. Here’s an interesting tidbit: Palio zosterae copulates by hypodermic injection — for more information on how this species is able to use its penis as a hook to pierce the skin of its mate, check out the Sea Slug Forum’s description.
