Taxonomy

Rarity

Abundance rates how many are in suitable habitat. Find difficulty rates how hard it is to locate one on a daylight snorkel or freedive through 50 ft. A higher find score means a harder search. The rarity category also reflects the kind of encounter; it is not an average of the 2 scores.

Seasonality

Location

The Monterey dorid ranges from Alaska to San Diego. It lives on hard bottom from the low intertidal zone, the part of the shore uncovered only at the lowest tides, to about 90 feet.

Deep Dive

A dorid is a nudibranch, a sea slug with no shell. This one is large, usually about 2 inches and recorded up to 6 inches. It is yellow to orange-yellow, with bumps called tubercles across the back, many tipped with dark brown or black. Dark markings also sit between the bumps.

The gills are yellow like the body, a useful field mark, because a similar sea lemon has white gills. It feeds on sponges, including encrusting species.

Where to Find Them

Researched habitat and range candidates

These locations have suitable habitat within the species range. An assignment is a possible encounter, not a confirmed sighting at every beach. Season, depth, and local conditions still matter. Historical habitat without present-day evidence is excluded.