Aplysia parvula from Korea

June 28, 2002
From: Dong Bum,Koh


Dear Bill,
Here are two photos of what I think is Aplysia parvula taken on the north coast of Cheju island, Sth Korea.

When I looked closely at the posterior dorsum the animal released a yellowish material. I presume they are mating. Can you tell me about that?

Data: North coast of Cheju island about 6 years ago, 20m depth, Photo: Dong Bum, Koh.

Dong Bum,Koh

drkoh@seasee.co.kr

Koh, D.B., 2002 (Jun 28) Aplysia parvula from Korea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7372

Dear Dong Bum,
This is Aplysia parvula. The black edge to the parapodia are very typical of this species. Another feature of this species is the wide opening on the mantle, also edged in black, through which the shell can be seen. I have marked this with an arrow in the photo alongside. In most species of Aplysia the opening [or foramen] through the mantle to the shell is microscopic and can only be seen as a small papilla. A. punctata is another species with a large foramen like this. In Stephen Hoskins' recent message about A. punctata you can see how the shell can pop out of the mantle, during preservation, when the foramen is so large.

Now to your question about the yellow secretion. I suspect that was either wastes from the kidney or the digestive system. In your lower photo there seem to be a small Aplysia sitting on the mantle of a larger animal. I can't see this clearly but otherwise I can't explain the outer parapodia. If this is so then yes the animals are almost certainly mating. I have seen this behaviour before in A. parvula and in the animal I am calling Aplysia cf. parvula. You will see in my photo of that animal, a smaller one sitting on the shell, between the parapodia, of a larger animal. It stayed there for at least 2 days with its penis inserted in the female aperture of the larger animal. The male organs of many opisthobranchs appear to mature before the female reprodcuctive organs. I suspect that this is the case in these species of Aplysia.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W. B., 2002 (Jun 28). Comment on Aplysia parvula from Korea by Dong Bum,Koh. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7372

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Aplysia parvula

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