Black swimming slug

April 30, 2002
From: Bruce de Haas

I wonder if someone can help me identify a species of slug I observed recently. The sighting took place in Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa. I saw the slug swimming next to the dock in Banjul harbour which is situated in an estuary at the mouth of the Gambia river. The water is salty at this point the bottom is muddy and the visibility usually poor as a result of sediment.

I saw two slugs which were almost entirely black. They were 150 mm long and 40mm wide. Roughly cylindrical in shape. The posterior end was slightly tapered and the anterior end blunt with small protrusions. In the middle of the body on the dorsal surface was a circular sail like appendage with which the snails swam. This was about 120mm in diameter. I saw the snails in the light of bright security lights at night. It was during a spring high tide. There was a great deal of activity in water with fish swimming and jumping close to the surface. The slugs where also swimming at the surface. I have not seen a slug quite like this one before and would be interested on learning more about it.

Thanks you for your kind assistance.
Regards,
Bruce de Haas

brucedehaas@yahoo.com

de Haas, B., 2002 (Apr 30) Black swimming slug. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6821

Dear Bruce,
I can't think of any black slugs which fit your description. Any reason for thinking it was a slug? More importantly, any reason why it wasn't a small fish - eel, lamprey, hagfish perhaps? Perhaps someone will have some ideas
Cheers,
Bill Rudman

Factsheet

Aplysia brasiliana

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