Site of the Week
The Slug Site http://www.slugsite.tierranet.com/
Nudibranchs, pronounced ‘nudi-branks’ and otherwise known as seaslugs, are amazing creatures, and this is one of several websites dedicated to them. The terrestrial slugs we’re used to are normally quite drab, but the thing that will hit you first about these marine versions is their garish appearance. Most species look like they’ve had an accident in a fluorescent paint factory, and the flowery naked gills which give them their name are usually equally flamboyant. These colours and structures can be seen in the Slug Site’s vast ‘Branch of the Week’ section, which has a collection of over 200 stunning photographs. To understand the significance of their snazzy appearance, however, you’ll need to head for the ‘everything you wanted to know about Nudibranchs but were too timid to ask’ section, a well written crash course in slug biology. You’ll learn about their cunning camouflage strategies, which involve obtaining the pigments from the food they feed on, and their even craftier chemical defence mechanisms, which include secreting sulphuric acid, and collecting the stinging cells from poisonous jellyfish and using them for their own benefit. This isn’t the world’s most user-friendly website - but scroll down and you’ll eventually find links to other slug sites, as well as a brief slug movie.
Richard Northover
Info-content ** Readability ** Appearance **** User friendliness ** Kids ** Plug-ins QuickTime