About this print: This is a picture of the North American west coast nudibranch, Melibe leonina (also known as the hooded or lion’s mane nudibranch). Nudibranchs in the genus Melibe are known for their large, satellite dish-like oral hoods that they use to capture prey from the water column. This species of Melibe is typically found living on eelgrass or kelp blades. When disturbed, these nudibranchs produce an odorous secretion that smells like watermelon (hence the title of the photo) and will often detach from the substratum and ‘swim’ away by undulating their body back and forth (or lateral bending). I first encountered M. leonina while taking an invertebrate zoology course at Friday Harbor Labs and was fortunate enough to see this magnificent mollusc again a few years later at Rosario Beach Marine Labs, where I captured this image.