A
nudibranch /ˈnjuːdɨbræŋk/ is a member of what is now a
taxonomic clade, and what was previously a
suborder, of
soft-bodied,
marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage.
They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms. The clade
Nudibranchia is the largest clade within the
heterobranchs, with more than 3,000 described species.