White Smooth-Horn Dorid

Conualevia alba

White Smooth-horn Dorid is a small nudibranch that typically reaches a maximum length of 2.4 cm. It is characterized by its smooth body and distinctive white coloration, which can help divers identify it among similar species. This nudibranch is often found living under rocks, making it somewhat cryptic in its natural habitat. It thrives in tropical to polar climates, with a distribution across the Eastern Pacific and Western Central Atlantic regions. The White Smooth-horn Dorid is a benthic species, primarily residing at depths shallower than 40 meters, with most occurrences recorded at depths less than 20 meters. Its habitat includes rocky reefs and other benthic environments where it can find shelter and food. As a hermaphrodite, this nudibranch engages in unique mating behaviors, where individuals will dart their reproductive organs toward one another to determine which will act as the male and which as the female during copulation. In terms of diet, the White Smooth-horn Dorid feeds on small invertebrates, which it grazes on while navigating its environment. Encounters with this species during dives can be intriguing, as divers may observe its slow movements and interactions with the substrate. The conservation status of this species has not been evaluated, but it is considered common in certain areas.