Aplysia juliana? from Reunion Island

January 31, 2007
From: Philibert Bidgrain


Dear Bill,

I have found two specimens of this species (size 100-120 mm) It looks like A. juliana. But identification of Aplysia seems to be very difficult, so ...What's the main characteristic of A juliana?

Locality: Saint Leu, 50 cm, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, December 2006. Length: 10 cm. Photographer: Philibert Bidgrain.

What's your opinion about this identification?

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

pbidgrain@yahoo.fr

Bidgrain, P., 2007 (Jan 31) Aplysia juliana? from Reunion Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19303

Dear Philibert,

Aplysia juliana is said to grow to 300 mm in length and is very variable in colour. The parapodia join very high up posteriorly. One very distinctive behavioural feature is that the posterior end of the foot forms a sticky 'sucker' which is used in the peculiar 'looping' form of crawling that this species exhibits. Rather than the smooth crawling found in most species of Aplysia, in A. juliana the posterior end of the foot forms a broad sucker which attaches to a surface and then the rest of the body stretches forward, the front then attaches and the posterior part is drawn forward. The form of locomotion, the lack of a purple gland and the parapodia joining high in the posterior midline are constant characters of this species.

I am not sure what this species is, but it doesn't look like A. juliana to me, and the parapodia seem to join low down posteriorly.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jan 31). Comment on Aplysia juliana? from Reunion Island by Philibert Bidgrain. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19303

Factsheet

Aplysia juliana

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