The Lynx Nudibranch, known in scientific circles as Phidiana lynceus, is a rather interesting marine animal. It can be amazingly efficient at getting rid of hydroid pests, but it must have access to a continuous source of food. After this amazing sea creature digests the stinging hydroids, the Lynx Nudibranch is actually able to incorporate the eaten (and thus digested) hydroid nematocysts into its own set of spiked cerata, which it then turns around and uses it for its own protection.
It’s almost as if you were to eat a king cobra, and then somehow survived the ordeal, and then became deadly like the king cobra… Well, sort of but not really.. If you would like more information on the matter, there are many marine biologists who can explain the process to you.
Anyway the Lynx Nudibranch in question was recently captured on high definition video by Coral Morphologic. The video, placed on Vimeo’s HD Channel, shows the lynch nudibranch chowing down on hydroids on top of an oyster, known as Spondylus americanus.
The clip which was recently put up there by the crew over at Morphologic was so stunning it was given the honor of being among the best, and who can argue with that? Congratulations are in order all around.