Lembeh Strait (Indonesia: Selat Lembeh) is a narrow stretch of water between Sulawesi and Lembeh Island (Pulau Lembeh), Indonesia. Lembeh Strait is world-known for its extremely high density of rare and unusual marine life, in particular nudibranchs.
Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage.
Nudibranchs are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames such as ‘clown’, ‘marigold’, ‘dragon’ or sea rabbit’. Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.
The word ‘nudibranch’ comes from the Latin nudus ‘naked’ and the Ancient Greek ‘βράγχια (bránkhia)’, meaning ‘gills’.
Most of the Nudibranchs are extremely small, it is very difficult to spot them.
Nudibranchs are often casually called sea slugs, as they are a family of opistobranchs (sea slugs), but many sea slugs belong to several taxonomic groups which are not closely related to nudibranchs. A number of these other sea slugs are often confused with nudibranchs.
