Diversidoris crocea

Diversidoris crocea is a small, colorful sea slug found in the tropical western Pacific, including regions such as Indonesia, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Guam, and Queensland, Australia. Typically measuring less than 50 mm in length, this nudibranch features a yellow body with a pale mantle margin and two semi-permanent mantle folds located around the mid-body. Its rhinophores and gills are also yellow, but identifying individual specimens can be challenging due to the presence of other yellow sea slugs that mimic their food sources, particularly yellow sponges. This species inhabits benthic environments, primarily on yellow sponges like Darwinella, which serve as its preferred food source. Diversidoris crocea is often found at depths shallower than 40 meters, with most occurrences recorded at depths around 30 meters or less. During a dive, encounters with this nudibranch can be interesting as divers observe its unique coloration and behavior among the sponges. As a simultaneous hermaphrodite, Diversidoris crocea engages in a mating behavior where two individuals attempt to penetrate each other's body wall, with the dominant individual acting as the male. Eggs are laid on a substrate, developing into a planktonic larval stage before maturing into adults. The conservation status of this species has not been evaluated.