Sea Bunnies

Jorunna parva

What are Sea Bunnies?

Sea bunnies are a type of gastropod mollusk in the discodorididae family, also called nudibranches. It's name comes from the black rhinophores at the front of it's body that resemble rabbit ears, and the many papillae covering it's body resembles a fur hide. Sea bunnies can vary in color, usually appearing in white, yellow, or green. They typically live for a few months up to a year. Most do not grow over 1 inch.

Where do They Live?

Many sea bunnies live in the waters off of coastal Japan and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They inhabit shallow tide pools and coral reefs.

What do They Eat?

Sea bunnies mainly eat sea sponges. They also eat seagrass, algae, along with sea snails and slugs. These slugs have a poisonous quality due to the toxins they absorb through their sponge-heavy diet. Fortunately, the toxins that sea bunnies have can be used in cancer treatments!

Image Credits

Sea bunny: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/398920479471724400/

Tide pool: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2020/08/25/act-out/10-creatures-you-can-find-in-a-maine-tide-pool/

Sea sponges: https://oceaninfo.com/animals/sea-sponge/