Sea Hare found 1/2 mile off Sth Florida

June 7, 2006
From: J Nicholas Boyd

Can anyone ID this critter I came across while boating 1/2 mile off Boca Raton in the Atlantic or refer me to a site that is good for ID - I have looked and looked and coming up empty - it was very soft without bones feeling and about 14 inches and was swimming very slow but not unlike a ray swims - notice its wings which moved it along. It was on the surface - I actually scooped it up and studied it a few minutes in a bucket - wish I turned it over and taken a picture.

Locality: Boca Raton, 26 20 59.10 N 80 04 00 .03 W, 30 but on surface, Florida, USA, Atlantic, 02 Feb 2004, off shore (near a dredge site). Length: 14 inches long 10 wide. Photographer: J. Nicholas Boyd.

J. Nicholas Boyd

nboyd@oceanlandinc.com

Boyd, J. N., 2006 (Jun 7) Sea Hare found 1/2 mile off Sth Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16777

Dear Nick,
This is a form of sea slug called a Sea Hare. Two are quite commonly found in your part of the world, Aplysia morio and A. brasiliana. I suspect yours is the first. Both species usually crawl on the bottom feeding on various sea weeds, but at times they can be found swimming - as you say, much like a ray swims. Have a look at the Fact Sheets for those two species and the attached messages for more information.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 7). Comment on Sea Hare found 1/2 mile off Sth Florida by J Nicholas Boyd. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16777

Factsheet

Aplysia morio

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