Aplysia oculifera from Kerala, India

September 7, 2009
From: Dr. A. Biju Kumar


Dear Bill:

I am attaching photographs of some Aplysia that we collected from the southwest coast of India.

We think the upper one is Aplysia oculifera. Kindly confirm the identification. As the shallow rocky pool areas of southwest coast of India are not surveyed seriously for associated biodiversity, there are possibilities of finding new distribution records from this region. We are currently working on preparing a marine biodiversity database for Kerala State of India.

Upper & Lower Photos: Five specimens were collected from among the sea weeds attached to rock. Locality: Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean; Kovalam (Lat. 80 05' N; Long. 770 15' E), Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala State, India. Habitat: Rock in the intertidal area. Size: 2.4 - 5.1 cm. Date: 11 July 2009. Middle Photo: One specimen was collected attached to sea weed.
Locality: Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean; Vizhinjam (Lat. 80 22' N; Long. 760 57' E) Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala State, India. Habitat: Rocky intertidal pool. Size: 2.3 cm. 18 August 2009. Photos: A. Biju Kumar

Thanking you
Sincerely,
Biju
Dept. of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries
University of Kerala,
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala, INDIA

bijupuzhayoram@gmail.com

Kumar, B., 2009 (Sep 7) Aplysia oculifera from Kerala, India. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22651

Dear Biju,

These are all Aplysia oculifera. The name 'oculifera'  means 'bearing eyes' which refers to the small black rings which could be compared with eyes. In the close-up alongside, the true left eye is not the  black-ringed white spot behind the left head tentacle [rhinophore] but the black spot which I have ringed with white.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Sep 7). Comment on Aplysia oculifera from Kerala, India by Dr. A. Biju Kumar. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22651

Factsheet

Aplysia oculifera

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