Swimming sea slug in France

October 4, 2007
From: Tim Twibell

I am trying to identify a 'sea slug' (perhaps) I found in France. It was on the atlantic coast and stranded in the shallow waters, in land of a raised oyster bed, at a spring low tide.

It was about 2ft long, black, with large flapping 'wings' for swimming. I don't even know where to start in its identification. I am only guessing that it it a sea slug. Might manage a photo if it is a sea slug

Locality: France, west coast, 1ft, France, Atlantic, 28th sept 2007, intertidal, sandy. Length: 1.5 to 2ft

Tim Twibell

tim.twibell@marineturbines.com

Twibell, T., 2007 (Oct 4) Swimming sea slug in France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20885

Dear Tim,
One reason contributors send photos to the Forum is so we can identify their mystery animals. There are many tens of thousands of marine animals so a photo is always a useful start. Having said that, your mention of ' large flapping 'wings' for swimming ' may have solved the mystery.

I suspect your animal is a sea hare and most probably Aplysia fasciata. Have a look at the species Fact Sheet and some of the earlier messages attached to it. Some of them have photos of it swimming.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Oct 4). Comment on Swimming sea slug in France by Tim Twibell. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20885

Factsheet

Aplysia fasciata

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