Scientific Name: Abronica sp.
Common Name: Abronica aeolids

Adult size: 6 – 15 mm (adult length, species-dependent)
Depth Range: 1 – 25 m; most sightings on shallow reef tops and rubble slopes
Biotope / Habitat: Coral-rubble patches, algal turf, hydroid-covered rock faces, and jetty pilings where their prey grows
Diet: Specialized feeder on small thecate hydroids (e.g., Sertularella, Obelia); sequesters the hydroids’ stinging nematocysts in its cerata for defence
Reproduction: Hermaphroditic; partners cross-fertilize and deposit thin, coiled egg ribbons on or near the host hydroid. Eggs hatch into planktonic veliger larvae before settling as juveniles.
Fun Fact: When disturbed, Abronica species can autotomize (shed) the tips of their cerata—complete with stolen stinging cells—to distract predators while they make a quick getaway.

Tiny, translucent and often overlooked, Abronica aeolids are elegant members of the sea-slug world. Their slender bodies are crowned with rows of glassy cerata whose tips glow white, orange, or turquoise— a warning borrowed from the hydroids they eat.