This species occurs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Vancouver Island to Panama. It can commonly be found in a soft-bottom habitat[2] from 1-230 meters in depth.[3]Armina californica is characterized by longitudinal ridges of varying colors including light pink, cream, and brown.[3] Features that differentiate Armina californica from the larger Armina species are separated rhinophores, rachidian teeth with 8-13 elongated denticles, and lateral teeth with 7-9 triangular denticles.[2]
^ abBaez, Diana P.; Ardila, Nestor; Valdes, Angel; Acero P., Arturo (2011). Taxonomy and phylogeny of Armina (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Arminidae) from the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Cambridge University Press (published 21 January 2011). p. 1113.
^ abMcDonald, Gary R.; Nybakken, James W. (1980). Guide to the Nudibranchs of California: including most species found from Alaska to Oregon. Melbourne, Florida, U.S.A.: American Malacologists, Inc. p. 58. ISBN0-915826-08-9.
Baez D.P., Ardila N., Valdés A. & Acero A. (2011) Taxonomy and phylogeny of Armina (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Arminidae) from the Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 91(5): 1107-1121.
Gosliner T.M. & Fahey S.J. (2011) Previously undocumented diversity and abundance of cryptic species: a phylogenetic analysis of Indo-Pacific Arminidae Rafinesque, 1814 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) with descriptions of 20 new species of Dermatobranchus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 161: 245–356. p. 2582