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Discussion thread: Nudibranch episode is published! (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-02 23:11:44
Imported:
2026-04

Content

*This episode is published and ready to hear wherever you get podcasts. Let's talk about it.*

Did someone ask for an episode on GLAMOROUS SEA SLUGS? I don't really care, because I made one anyway. And because they're worth with the extra time and sweat, we crammed two experts into the wetsuit of a discussion about why these squishy beauties look so good and want to kill you.

Please enjoy Dr. Terry Gosliner & Dr. Jessica Goodheart waxing awestruck about: bunny horns, finger backs, stolen weaponry, “buttflowers,” doomed first dates, high fashion, tiny eyes, gender fluidity, “Finding Nemo” cameos, and so much more.

Did you listen? Let's talk below. Also feel free to share any nudi sightings you've had. I'm all eyes.

Your father in pod,

Alison Ann Ward

Files

Nudibranchology (GLAMOROUS SEA SLUGS) with Dr. Jessica Goodheart and Dr. Terry Gosliner - alie ward

Discovery. Drama. Diversity. Design inspo. Let's squirm into the sea grass and the tidal crevices with California Academy of Sciences legend Dr. Terry Gosliner and the American Museum of Natural History's Dr. Jessica Goodheart to discover bunny horns, finger backs, stolen weaponry, "buttflowers," do

Comments

Raja

Nudibranches! Can't wait to listen!

Andrew McVay

glaucus atlanticus would definitely be a cool tattoo!

Jessica K

Not thru the full ep yet but I Believe the some of the mentioned wool nudibranch art collection is at Point Reyes National Seashore’s Bear Valley Visitor Center! Highly recommend checking it out if you’re local to NorCal

DeeDeeNoodle

My favourite ocean critter! Can't wait to listen! I have a tattoo of one. I got my Open Water Scuba License a few years ago and my teacher-turned friend introduced me to Nudis! Where I live on the sunshine coast (Gubbi Gubbi Country) in Queensland, Australia, Apparently has the widest variety and highest number in the world. Gary Cobb who published a book on Nudis also lives here and he's a delight of a human!

Elizabeth

That is definitely NOT how I've been pronouncing nudibranch in my head, so I guess it's good I've never had to say it out loud before

Cat Baklarz

Oooh I've been waiting for this one!

Katy

I just... It's nude-i-br-ay-nk? Not nude-i-br-ann-ch?

Elinor Wahl

While I'm glad both scientists show such reverence for their subject of study, isn't it a little reductive for Dr. Gosliner to claim nudibranchs have no emotions? The behavior of nematodes demonstrates states of happiness and distress. And surely, while searching for food and mates, nudibranchs have to use those chemical senses to take in and process a huge amount of environmental stimulus that has nothing to do with either of those things

Alie Ward

I understand that -- I think many scientists stray away from wanting to anthropomorphize too much, but I know in generations to come, animal sentience and neuroscience will come a long way.

Elinor Wahl

For those considering a glaucus atlanticus tattoo because of this episode, why not also have one of a Portuguese man o' war for context?

Lady_Marzipan

I nearly lost it at 'let us celebrate same-socks marriage'

Alie Ward

I didn't realize that the pronunciation was going to be so surprising! I grew up near San Francisco where the beaches are ore for tidepooling than tanning, so we learned about these critters from a young age. (And how important a parka is in June.)

Alie Ward

OKAY WHAT SPECIES BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT NUDI TATTS

Alie Ward

More like DeeDeeNudlebranch hehehe

Alie Ward

Take a gander at soem on google and feast your eyes

Elizabeth

Same! But I guess we always just said sea slugs?

DeeDeeNoodle

Chromodoris Elizabethina (there really should be a nudi emoji)

DeeDeeNoodle

Also I've told Mercedes you gals need to come to Australia on a field trip and I'm happy to play guide!

Cat Baklarz

I like a bunch, but clown dorids are especially cheerful. I'll be listening to see if you share your favorite :3

Elinor Wahl

It's not just about neuroscience - it was also mentioned that nudibranchs have a distributed system of cognition. That's also true of cnidarians, of octopuses, of slime molds and bacterial colonies. Cognition isn't confined to a brain, but a communication between organisms and their environment - including other, seemingly discrete organisms - happening in ways that go far beyond what happens in brains

Elinor Wahl

There's a Spanish dancer shown in the AMNH Hall of Marine Life, in a video loop about life in kelp forests! In a very funny clip, a Spanish dancer pokes their head into an anemone, and immediately gets stuck when the anemone defensively puckers and closes up

Peregrine

I love nudibranchs even more now!! I saw a video recently of some super cute little green nudibranchs in a brackish puddle! I’ll have to see if I can find it. Had such a nice time listening and Ologies once again helped me through a hard week 🫶 Lots of love to Alie, Dr. Goodheart, and Dr. Goslinger - Peregrine

Elinor Wahl

Check out @stevensunderwater! He takes a lot of photos of nudibranchs right around the coasts of the UK

Cynthia Z

I went tidepooling in Northern California and found a little pool with EIGHT opalescent nudibranchs! Still one of the most magical moments of my entire life :’)

Cynthia Z

Also, my favorite exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the melibe (lion’s mane nudibranch). They have a giant hood that opens up and they look like soft flytraps! I think I spent 30 minutes staring at their tank alone!

Katy

I know you do your homework so I didn't question it at all, but this is the first time an episode has blown my mind in the first 2 seconds.

Dorit

I was listening on my way to a sneaky mid week beach visit here in Cape Town yesterday morning, so I was inspired to take a close look at the rocks while taking my icy dip, because nudibranchs are everywhere, right? And this is what I found...Ghost nudibranch - Wikipedia https://share.google/h1qulJ3XmfynYlamh so rad! They are only found here in South Africa. It looked like a little bit of bird poop on the seaweed at first glance... but closer inspection and a bit of coaxing it back into the water (it was a super low spring tide) revealed it was definitely a little translucent gem of a nudibranch! Yay!

DeeDeeNoodle

Whooooah I just looked it up! So rad

Alicia Noble

Megan Lapp of Crafty Intentions has at least 4 sets of nudibranch crochet patterns! I was lucky enough to test out her first set of minis so I made 12 of them. I shared a pic of the set in the Crafty-ologites group.

Teale Vee

Love the Nudis! They are the fashion models of the undersea world!

Holland G

I had hoped they’d talk about the leaf sheep nudibranch - who absorbs algae into their bodies and uses the algae’s ability to photosynthesize as a source of sugar for themselves - but it was really cool to learn how this process is similar to how some species eat and then use the stinging cells of their cnidarian prey !!

Katie Munoz

Your podcasts always dazzle me, but this one... ! There exists a nudibranch that not only eats Portuguese Man 'O War jellyfish, but manages to extract the stinger cells and repurpose them for its own defense? !!! That is amazing! My brain just blew a fuse.

Sparrow15

I teach high school at an amazing school which is competency based, not grades, which means I can teach science through new and exciting lenses. Oligies is my dopamine! Every single episode is exquisite. I learn things I didn’t even consider would be interesting to be utterly fascinating. I start a new 8 week class on animal intelligence on Monday and these colorful tiny but mighty creatures need a spot. Because, gosh they repurpose the chemical stings from prey into their own defense mechanisms. What else can they do?! I don’t know but I feel my Saturday is taking me on a journey! Thank you for so much inspiration. 💕👏

Jeweliette Pearson

Idk why but hearing Dr. Terry Gosliner talk about his passion and mission to continue sharing and connecting with others about nudi’s and nature in general had me choking up 🥹. Tysm Alie for providing a platform for scientists to share their work and passions with the world. It is truly inspirational and lighting a fire of hope and immense joy in us all.

Keerat Singh

I found all the details about nudibranchs to be absolutely enchanting! I will try to go tide pooling in the spring to see what I can see

Kaley Vang

My brother studies nudibranchs and this episode makes me feel like I can understand him and connect with him and his passion that much more. Such a phenomenal episode!

Brad Goldman

Despite being a highfalutin MD thinking I had all of vocabulary down Pat. Your podcast opened my eyes on the beauty of these amazing little creatures and finally now I know it’s not pronounced like “nudie branches.”

The Sassy Shork

Yes! The moment I realised I had proudly been walking around pronouncing nudibranchs as if they were neon tree trunks was a humbling one. I leaned so much! (and not just that I gotta stop pronouncing them phonetically!)

Kieran H

I really enjoyed this episode!!! Nudibranchology was a topic that I was eagerly looking forward to. I've loved tidepooling my whole life, but last summer I got reeeeally into it and I started learning more about all of the different types of sea creatures you can find. Nudis are my absolute favorite!!! They are so charming and charismatic and beautiful and cute. Fancy sea slugs 4 lyfe!!!!

Itsok

This is why I love Ologies SO MUCH! And one of the first things I say when I recommend Ologies to someone. The way Alie creates space for scientists to be excited about their work and the way she hypes them up, it’s so fun to listen to on every level!