Aplysia dactylomela
Rang, 1828

Order: ANASPIDEA
Superfamily: APLYSIOIDEA
Family: Aplysiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters.

PHOTO

UPPER & LOWER LEFT: Long Reef, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, December 1995, 12cm long alive. LOWER RIGHT: Koumac, New Caledonia, October 1993, 13cm long alive. Specimen showing colour variation with relatively thin black lines and rings. PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.

Characterised by relatively tough, leathery parapodia and large dark or black rings, and blackish reticulate lines. Black markings on both the outside and inside of the parapodia.

See Sea Hare - defence for a picture of A. dactylomela 'inking'. See also message below for a picture of an animal from the Bahamas.

See the General Topics List for more information on Sea Hares.
See Mating Chains

Reference:
• Rang, S. (1828). Histoire naturelle des Aplysiens, prèmiere famille de l'ordre des Tectibranches. 84pp., Plates 1-24. In: Férussac, D., Histoire naturelle generale et particuliere des Mollusques. Firmin Didot: Paris.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (April 19) Aplysia dactylomela Rang, 1828. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/aplydact

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