Gulf Coast of Florida find

June 29, 2001
From: Bill Mueller

I was in Panama City Beach, Florida [USA] and saw what I believe is a nudibranch. It was black/purple and emitted a pink to purple dye when approached. It had a snail-like head and swam with wings at or near the surface. We were at the jetty cut where St. Andrew's bay empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The water was clear, 6 ft. deep, with a sandy bottom.

Any ideas as to it's name? I looked through the Panamerican species and didn't see it. I got a picture that has not been developed yet but upon looking at the intructions for the underwater disposable, it said the subject had to be 3 feet away and I was much closer, so I wonder if it will turn out?

Thanks for any help you can provide,

Bill Mueller
Tallahassee, Florida.

CalRipkin8@yahoo.com

Mueller, W., 2001 (Jun 29) Gulf Coast of Florida find. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4683

Dear Bill,
Your animal is a Sea Hare, some species of which can swim, and most produce the purple ink you describe. From the many messages to the Forum over the last few years it seems there are two common swimming species found in your region, Aplysia brasiliana and Aplysia morio. The dark brown-black one is A. morio.

If you want to know more about these animals have a look around the Forum at the information pages and the earlier messages. Use the navigation buttons in the bar at the top and bottom of each page or just click on anything that's underlined.
best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jun 29). Comment on Gulf Coast of Florida find by Bill Mueller. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4683

Factsheet

Aplysia morio

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