Think all slugs are ugly? Think again.

Meet one of the most beautiful slugs in the world — the black-and-gold sapsucking slug (Cyerce nigricans).

This vibrant sea slug deters predators by secreting a foul-tasting mucus. When threatened, it can shed its striking cerata — leaf-like outgrowths — to create a distraction.

Found in the western Indian and Pacific Oceans, this fascinating creature thrives on coral and rocky reefs, where it feeds on algae.

Photo: Profmollusc, Naturalist