Re: Aplysia brasiliana and swimming

February 9, 2009
From: Villand Bergerhoff


Concerning message #1310:

Hi Bill.
I am writing from Bahia, Brazil. Here are some pictures of Aplysia brasiliana that I saw swimming.

I read the post from Vinicius about the Aplysia fasciata Vs. Aplysia brasiliana [message #19409 ]. For me, we have the two species, because the black Aplysia can not swim. I have found the black Aplysia in Bahia, and this never swimm.

PS: I have an video with A. brasiliana swimming

Locality: Lauro de Freitas, 1.5 m, Bahia, Brazil, Atlantic, 14 December 2008. Length: about 27 cm. Photographer: Villand Bergerhoff.

Villand Bergerhoff

viliberger@gmail.com

Bergerhoff, V., 2009 (Feb 9) Re: Aplysia brasiliana and swimming. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22224

Dear Vili,
Thanks for the photos and your observations. Aplysia fasciata from Europe can also swim, so your black Aplysia is unlikely to be that species.

One possibility is that it is the black form of Aplysia juliana which is another widespread species and does not swim. If you look at the A. juliana Fact Sheet you will see it has an unusual way of crawling along - often forming the back of the foot into a rounded sucker. It also has the back of the parapodia joined into a high wall around the back of the shell and mantle cavity.  If you have photos of it I might be able to identify it, but photos of black animals are quite difficult to take and to see any detail in.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Feb 9). Comment on Re: Aplysia brasiliana and swimming by Villand Bergerhoff. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22224

Factsheet

Aplysia brasiliana

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