Nembrotha kubaryana
Encounter Rate
Spotting Difficulty
Best Season
Year-round
Depth Range
3-30 meters
Nembrotha kubaryana, commonly known as the variable neon slug, is one of the most striking and frequently photographed nudibranchs in Komodo National Park. This large, bold nudibranch reaches up to 12 centimetres — giant by nudibranch standards — and features a dramatic dark green to black body adorned with vivid green stripes and patches, highlighted by bright orange rhinophores and gill plume. Its loud colour scheme is a clear warning to predators: this animal is packed with toxic compounds sequestered from the tunicates (sea squirts) on which it feeds. In Komodo, Nembrotha kubaryana is commonly found at macro-rich sites crawling over colonial tunicate colonies, often in pairs as these hermaphroditic animals search for mating partners. Their large size and bold colouration make them one of the easiest nudibranchs to spot without a guide, and their willingness to crawl in the open rather than hide makes them a favourite photographic subject.
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Average Size
5-8cm
Size Range
2-12cm
Maximum Size
12cm
Feeds on colonial tunicates (sea squirts), grazing on the soft tissue and sequestering toxic compounds from the tunicates for its own chemical defence.
Nembrotha kubaryana, commonly known as the variable neon slug, is one of the most striking and frequently photographed nudibranchs in Komodo National Park. This large, bold nudibranch reaches up to 12 centimetres — giant by nudibranch standards — and features a dramatic dark green to black body adorned with vivid green stripes and patches, highlighted by bright orange rhinophores and gill plume. Its loud colour scheme is a clear warning to predators: this animal is packed with toxic compounds sequestered from the tunicates (sea squirts) on which it feeds. In Komodo, Nembrotha kubaryana is commonly found at macro-rich sites crawling over colonial tunicate colonies, often in pairs as these hermaphroditic animals search for mating partners. Their large size and bold colouration make them one of the easiest nudibranchs to spot without a guide, and their willingness to crawl in the open rather than hide makes them a favourite photographic subject.
This species plays an important role in the marine ecosystem of Komodo National Park. Responsible diving practices help protect these animals and their habitat for future generations.
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Their vivid green, black, and orange colouration is aposematic — it warns predators that they taste terrible and are toxic. The toxins are sequestered from the tunicates they eat.
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