Scientific Name: Thuridilla vataae
Common Name: Vataae’s thuridilla

Adult Size: 10 – 25 mm
Depth Range: 5 – 20 m
Biotope / Habitat: Shallow coral reef slopes and rocky outcrops, often seen gliding over algae-covered surfaces and rubble patches
Diet: Feeds on green algae, using its radula to gently scrape and consume cell contents while retaining chloroplasts (kleptoplasty)
Reproduction: Hermaphroditic; mates reciprocally, with small, coiled egg ribbons laid in algae or on reef rubble
Fun Fact: Thuridilla vataae is known for its sleek, leaf-like blue body decorated with fine white lines and bright orange-tipped rhinophores, making it a vibrant and graceful “solar-powered” slug of the reef!

This beautiful little slug’s phototrophic lifestyle and vibrant markings make it a favorite for macro photographers and divers exploring the algae-rich slopes of tropical reefs.