The Nudibranch is one type of Sea Slug, noted for its’ beauty and.. well thats about it, because it isn’t even a sea creature that a lot of people are aware of. These are soft bodied creatures, with no bones to force them into one shape or another, and they come in a massive variety of colors, most of which are bright. They are basically mollusks without the benefits of having shells. In size they are relatively small, the largest getting no bigger than 12 inches, or 31centimeters at full size, most being smaller than 4 inches or 10 centimeters. Pronounce it “Nude – a – brank”

Chromodoris coi

This particular one looks a bit like a lovely pastry in a French Shop, however one only has to look in tidal pools to find these tiny creatures, although they can be found anywhere in the oceans, they often use their colors and textures to camouflage in the coral reefs. The tones and colors on this animals are remarkable.

Glaucus alanticus

These Nudibranchs look like something from an alien film, I mean seriously have you ever even considered that we had things like this alive on our planet? Because I really don’t think you did. You might say you did, but I doubt you did. You probably didn’t and just think you did. They feed on poisonous jelly fish and store the poison for their own use.

Hypselodoris bullocki

The colors on this particular critter are stunning, but so is this fact about them. They are hermaphrodites, being both male and female at the same time. They lay eggs and can fertilize themselves, but rarely do. Their lifespans vary, from one short month to about a year.

Phidiana indica

Although the photograph lacks the clarity of some of the other pictures, you can see how marvelous this animal is and admire it for the dainty appearance it has. One can imagine how small this animal is.
It is interesting to note as well that since they have no bones or shell, we have very little information on them in terms of evolution from the past.

Glossodoris atromarginata

Another one that looks like it could have come out of a French Pastry shop. I really like French Pastry, but I also like nudibranchs, although not suitable for eating. Now, you might be wondering what do they eat? As sweet and innocent as they appear, they are carnivores, as mentioned above, some even make a point of eating poisonous jelly fish. Occasionally they are canibalistic, but this is uncommon.

Ardeadoris egretta

This one is another beauty, almost translucent. Then again I have not seen what could be described as an ugly Nudibranch. I suppose these animals are lucky that their bodies are only soft tissue, otherwise man would surely have found a way to turn them into a wearable item.

Limacia cockerelli

In the year 1893, James Hilton described an eternally peaceful and quiet place among mountains in the East—— “Shangri-La” in one of his novels for the first time. In the novel “Lost Horizon”, an English diplomat Conway and his brother Gorge scattered the English citizens and helped them leave the dangerous region. On their way home, their plane was hijacked?and fell down into the mountain in the Tibetan region. Some lucky survivors were taken to Shangri-la where Conway found lots of fantastic things in such a state founded nearly 200 years ago, in which the local people lived up to more than one hundred years old and lived peacefully and harmoniously with the other people, animals and everything here. The place was called “Shangri-La” by the local folks.

click on images to enlarge

click on images to enlarge

Macro photography is the art of taking close-up pictures that reveal details which can’t be seen with the naked eye. For example, while we can see the fly on the wall, our eyes aren’t equipped to make out the fine details of the hairs on it’s face. This is where macro photography comes in. It gives us a glimpse into the world of the very small, which goes largely unnoticed by us as we hurriedly shuffle through our day.

In this edition of our Monday Inspiration series we present 25 beautiful examples of macro photography. A round-up of some truly revealing and inspiring macro photographs which are sure to have you marveling at the world around you. You may check out the links at the bottom of this post for further resources on the subject of macro photography.

“A close-up shot of a Tokay Gecko. Their eyes remind me of old-fashioned keyholes. Thanks for looking!” The photo is taken by Alan M.

“She felt her strength and passion back by 1 small drop of water.”. The photo is taken by Leon Baas.

“Jumping spider on a DVD reading my data! Shot with a Canon 20D with a Canon MP-E macro lens.” The photo is taken by Coder.

“Close-up of a wet leaf … taken with a Canon Powershot A610 ” The photo is taken by Sophie.

“This yellow meadow ant is trying to find a way to dry ground after the rain”. The photo is taken by Leon Baas.

Close-up of a very colorful flower.

Photos are taken by Justin Dotson.

The photo is taken by Chun-Chih Fan (ddsnet).

The photo is taken by Indah Susanti.

The photo is taken by Kristina Buceatchi.