Hopkin's rose
Hopkinsia rosacea
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Rocky shore
- Relatives
- Snails, clams, other sea slugs; Order: Nudibranchia
- Diet
- Pink encrusting bryozoan
- Range
- Oregon to Baja California
- Size
- Up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long
Meet the Hopkin's rose
This pink nudibranch seasonally brightens local tide pools. Nudibranchs, also called sea slugs, are sea snails without a shell. Many nudibranchs wear bright colors that may warn predators that the slugs taste bitter or foul. Usually the only animals that eat nudibranchs are other nudibranchs.
Conservation
Though it may look rugged, the rocky shore habitat is fragile. Rocky shore creatures like nudibranchs are at risk from coastal development and from pollution, including waste oil and agricultural runoff. Some tide pools are in danger of being "loved to death" by visitors. Tread lightly as you explore tide pools to avoid crushing plants and animals, and never take creatures from their tide pool homes.
Cool facts
- The name "nudibranch" means "naked gill," and the feathery gills of these animals take many fancy forms.
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