Sea Slugs in Florida

February 11, 1999
From: Bob Pellegrino

While walking the beach on Marco Island, Florida, we see many sea slugs washed up on the beach at low tide. They are alive and the birds, gulls, sandpipers, egrets, etc. do not eat them. Marco Island is in Southwest Florida, south of Naples, south of Ft. Myers on the Gulf of Mexico. With the aid of a stick I tossed many back into the Gulf and they usually emit a beautiful reddish looking dye when they hit the water. Since the birds won't touch them I have been reluctant to pick them up.
Any information you can give me would be appreciated. I know nothing about these animals.

(You can contact me at SanPel@Aol.com
or Pelly@fgcorp.com)

Thanks
Bob Pellegrino

sanpel@aol.com

Pellegrino, B., 1999 (Feb 11) Sea Slugs in Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/554

Dear Bob,
The reddish looking dye is a pretty good clue that you are looking at a group of Sea Slugs called "Sea Hares", which often are found in large numbers stranded on beaches. Have a look at the picture on the Sea Hares - attack and defence page which shows Aplysia dactylomela "inking".

For information on Sea Hares look at the top of this page, above your message, and at the earlier messages about Sea Hares which are below your message.

Also, go to the index of GENERAL TOPICS and look at the entries about Sea Hares, where there is a lot of information on their biology.

And go to the SPECIES LIST and find the ORDER ANASPIDEA. All the animals listed there are Sea Hares. It is possible your species is either a species of Aplysia or perhaps a species of Bursatella.

I hope this is of some help,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Feb 11). Comment on Sea Slugs in Florida by Bob Pellegrino. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/554

Factsheet

What are Sea Hares?

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