What we accept — what to submit to SEASLUG.WORLD

SEASLUG.WORLD accepts submissions of sea slugs in the broad sense — animals belonging to the Heterobranchia clade. This includes not just Nudibranchia in the strict sense, but also Sacoglossa, Aplysiida (sea hares), Pleurobranchida, and other shell-reduced heterobranch groups.

For the taxonomic history behind this scope, see What is a Sea Slug? — Nine Orders to Twelve Lineages.

✓ Accepted (the higher taxa we cover)

Submissions are welcome for any species that belongs to one of the following 11 higher taxa. This list is auto-generated from the site's taxonomic backbone and updates automatically if a new clade is added.

  • Subterclass Acteonimorpha (オオシイノミガイ準綱)
  • Order Ringiculida (マメウラシマ目)
  • Order Pleurobranchida (フシエラガイ目)
  • Order Doridida (ドーリス目)
  • Order Nudibranchia (裸鰓目)
  • Order Umbraculida (ヒトエガイ目(傘殻目))
  • Order Cephalaspidea (頭楯目)
  • Order Aplysiida (アメフラシ目)
  • Order Acochlida (スナウミウシ目)
  • Order Pteropoda (翼足目)
  • Order Sacoglossa (嚢舌目)

If identification is uncertain, or if you are not sure which group your animal belongs to, please submit it via the submission form with photos and observation details. The site owner will verify its placement.

✗ Not accepted

The following animals are outside the scope of this site. They can look strikingly similar to sea slugs but belong to entirely different lineages:

  • Flatworms (Platyhelminthes) — marine polyclads such as Pseudoceros can match nudibranchs in colour and shape, but they are not molluscs at all (a separate phylum).
  • Onchidiids (e.g. Peronia / Onchidium) — leathery slugs seen on intertidal rocks; they look like dorid sea slugs but are air-breathing pulmonates, which are outside the scope of this site.

For additional examples of animals commonly mistaken for sea slugs, see Creatures mistaken for nudibranchs.

When in doubt, just submit!

If you are not sure whether your animal is a sea slug, please submit it anyway. Every submission is reviewed by the site owner. If the animal turns out to be outside our scope, we will let you know (the record may not be published, but we may point you to an appropriate alternative site).

Questions? Use the contact form.