A photographically-vouchered global citizen science dataset of sea slugs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia) from the SEASLUG.WORLD platform since 2015
Abstract
This dataset comprises occurrence records on sea slugs, collected from divers worldwide via the online platform "Sekai no Umiushi" (https://seaslug.world/) since 2015. Data collection remains ongoing, and the dataset currently includes approximately 40,000 records. It broadly covers groups within the Heterobranchia commonly known as "sea slugs," including not only nudibranchs (Nudibranchia) but also sea hares (Aplysiida), headshield slugs (Cephalaspidea), and sap-sucking slugs (Sacoglossa). The key feature of this dataset is that every record is accompanied by a high-resolution photograph that serves as the basis for identification. All species identifications are consistently performed by the project administrator based on these photographs, ensuring high taxonomic accuracy and consistency throughout the entire dataset. Each record includes a scientific name, vernacular name, geographic coordinates, event date, depth, and a URL to the photograph. This dataset, underpinned by photographic evidence, provides valuable contributions to studies on sea slug biogeography, understanding of diversity patterns, and marine biodiversity monitoring research through citizen science.
Citation
Kimoto, N. (2025) A photographically-vouchered global citizen science dataset of sea slugs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia) from the SEASLUG.WORLD platform since 2015. Available at https://doi.org/10.48518/00032. Accessed on yyyy-mm-dd.
Literature
Information on literature which is important for understanding data, such as literature which became the basis of the data set, is displayed.
URL
License
Contacts
Resource Contact, Resource Creator, Metadata Provider
Organization: Phone: Address: Home Page: https://seaslug.world/Email: nobuhiko.kimoto@gmail.com
Datasets and providers
seaslug-world
Occurrence records
Occurrence records →
[Map・Summary]
Number of record
41,222 
Record acquisition period
1999/09/04 ~ 2025/08/23
* Date last modified : 2025/09/10
Record acquisition range
Latitude
-35.52337 ~ 58.586929
Longitude
-158.06266308 ~ 179.7609
Depth
0 ~ 87 m
[Environment]
[Registered taxon]
Number of taxonomy
1,236Taxonomy
Number of specimen
342Specimen
Taxon level lower than family :56 %
Taxon level lower than species :34 %
Scientific name list
Displayed result
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