Aplysia fasciata? from the Canary Islands

August 21, 2006
From: Christian Kowalewski

Hallo
I am not sure if this is Aplysia fasciata because a marine biology doctor tells me it is A. punctata. What do you think?

The picture is taken just below the intertidal in the same area as I often find A. dactylomela; rocky overgrown substrate during winter under rough waves.

Locality: Tenerife Island, Canary Islands, 2 meters, Spain, Atlantic Ocean, 16 May 2006, Under Intertidal, rocky overgrown . Length: 14 cm. Photographer: Christian Kowalewksi

Thanks
Christian Kowalewksi

moratorix@gmx.de

Kowalewski, C.J., 2006 (Aug 21) Aplysia fasciata? from the Canary Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17375

Dear Christian,
I hesitate to disagree with a local expert, but the animal in your photo certainly looks like A. fasciata to me. There certainly appears to be a reddish tinge to the end of the oral tentacles, and the edge of the parapodia also seem to have a reddish tinge, so in colour it fits A. fasciata. A more defining feature separating A. fasciata and A. punctata is that in A. punctata the posterior end of the parapodia join quite high. In your photo, the animal seems to have parapodia which remain open posteriorly, suggesting it is A. fasciata.

However if you look message #17503, which I am also posting today, I am pretty sure the animal there is A. punctata, despite the reddish parapodial border. Often these species cannot be identified by single photos. One sure way is to see if they swim. Aplysia fasciata, with parapodia which remain unjoined posteriorly, is a swimmer, while A. punctata which has the parapodia joined high up posteriorly, doesn't swim.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Aug 21). Comment on Aplysia fasciata? from the Canary Islands by Christian Kowalewski. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17375

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