Aplysia parvula in Reunion Island

February 1, 2007
From: Philibert Bidgrain


Dear Bill,

We have found some specimens (size: less than 30 mm) of a species which I think are specimens of Aplysia parvula. In the smallest specimen, the border of the parapodia is blue while in the two larger specimens the border of the parapodia is less visible by seems to be black...
Are they able to produce a purple ink?
You say "Aplysia juliana is one of the few species of Aplysia that lacks the ink gland which produces the characteristic reddish purple ink". Is it also true for A parvula?
What's the main difference with A. juliana?

Locality: Saint Gilles, 10 cm, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, December 2006, lagoon. Photographer: Philibert Bidgrain.

Philibert Bidgrain
http://vieoceane.free.fr/runseaslug/indexslug.htm

pbidgrain@yahoo.fr

Bidgrain, P., 2007 (Feb 1) Aplysia parvula in Reunion Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19302

Dear Philibert,
Aplysia parvula is a relatively small species which usually has a blackish border to the parapodia. There is another species? or colour form which is black with a whitish border [see Aplysia cf. parvula ]. I am reluctant to give a strict definition of this species because there is so much variability in its colour pattern - or else there are a number if very similar species with slight colour differences.  That is why I have many photos of Aplysia parvula and Aplysia cf. parvula on the Forum so you can get a full picture of what we consider at present to be one species. Certainly the colour form in your photos, with tiny white specks, is not an uncommon colour form of the species.

I have included a close-up alongside which shows a very distinctive feature of the species, and that is the very large hole or foramen [= window in Latin] in the mantle, through which we can see, and touch, the brownish shell. [In the photo p = parapodia; m = mantle; s = shell].

A. parvula does indeed produce purple ink, but as I have mentioned elsewhere, it needs to feed on red algae to produce it, and it does not have an endless supply of the ink. If it has recently 'inked' then it needs to feed again to build up another supply of the ink. Apart from the large foramen, black edge to parapodia, size, and inking, it differs from A. juliana in the way it walks along. Aplysia juliana has a peculiar form of crawling, which I described earlier [message #19303], while A. parvula crawls along smoothly like most slugs.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Feb 1). Comment on Aplysia parvula in Reunion Island by Philibert Bidgrain. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19302

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