Aplysia morio in Bermuda [2]

May 22, 2006
From: Ben Hartley


Greetings from Bermuda,
We found this guy swimming at the surface, we had seen what I believe to be the same animal the day before, but this time he just drifted up to our anchored boat and we were able to take pictures. From looking at your website I believe this to be Aplysia fasciata, but I could be wrong. If I recall correctly it is locally called a 'Sea Cat' in order to distinguish it from the much more common Sea Hare. I just thought I would just let you know that they exist in Bermuda. They do not appear to be common here, but are not unknown.

We all touched it but it at no point produced any ink that we sometimes see from sea hares, can this species produce ink like the others?

If it was indeed the same animal both times, that would mean it had traveled at least 0.98 miles (1.48 km) in approximately 24 hours.

Locality: 32.330862 N, 64.887174 W, Halfway Flat, 0 to 3 meters, Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean, Sargasso Sea, 15 May 2006, sandy bottom, reefs. Length: 35 cm . Photographer: Greg Hartley.

Ben Hartley

bhartley1024@yahoo.com

Hartley, B.B., 2006 (May 22) Aplysia morio in Bermuda [2]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16632

Dear Ben,

This is Aplysia morio. I am also posting a message from Thad Murdoch [message #16641] of another sighting from Bermuda. If you look at earlier messages on this species and the other swimming Caribbean species A. brasiliana you will find links to much we know about their biology. Concerning whether they produce their purple ink, have a look at message #16137  where there is a photo of one inking

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (May 22). Comment on Aplysia morio in Bermuda [2] by Ben Hartley. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16632

Factsheet

Aplysia morio

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