Sea slugs?

February 3, 2004
From: Tom and Jack Burrows

Yesterday my brother and I we playing on the beach near a deep pool of water. we found these long fat slug things, that were covered in grreen slimey stuff. They had heads like snails, with those antena things on there head. they were about 25cm long and fat, wen you turned it over, it had like a snail foot. They had weird holes on their back, which they sucked and blew water out of. I am trying to find a picture of one, but I don't know the big names at the start of your species list, so I don't know what to look up. The 4 slugs we caught, when we put them back, all followed each other in a line. they were also blowing ink out of them. What are they?
Thanks
Tom and Jack Burrows
(8 and 5 years old)

glinda@dodo.com.au

Dear Tom & Jack,
You don't say where in the world you saw these animals but from your email address I guess it's somewhere in Australia.

When I was about halfway through your excellent description I was pretty sure you had found a Sea Hare called Dolabella auricularia. Your mention of them blowing ink pretty much confirmed my feeling. Have a look at the Sea Hares Page for some general information and have a look at the Dolabella auricularia Fact Sheet for information on your animal. If you look at the other messages attached below your message on the page you will find photos and information from all round the works on this animal.

Some people think that like the octopus, the ink they produce is for defence, but there is no evidence for that. The ink is probably just a waste product they produce when they eat red sea weeds. [Have a look at the Purple Ink Page ].

The two holes you saw which sucked water in and out are called siphons. Their job is to suck water in and out of a cavity inside their bodies which contains their flattened shell and their gill which they use for breathing. Without the siphons keeping a fresh supply of sea water coming in and out of the cavity they would not be able to use their gill for breathing. There is a separate page where you can see photos of their shell.

Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Feb 3). Comment on Sea slugs? by Tom and Jack Burrows. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12100

Factsheet

Dolabella auricularia

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