Aplysia fasciata
Poiret, 1789

Order: ANASPIDEA
Superfamily: APLYSIOIDEA
Family: Aplysiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Atlantic coast of France, Mediterranean, West Africa. Rare visitor to southern British Isles. See message [m12545] identifying this species from Brazil.

PHOTO

Baleal, Portugal, August 2001. Between 2 and 3 meters deep. Photo: João Pedro Silva.

Body black or very dark brown, sometimes with a red border to the parapodia, foot and cephalic tentacles. Sometimes some whitish blotches over body. The parapodial lobes are widely separated both anteriorly and posteriorly. Can grow to 40 cm long.

See Bebbington & Hughes (1973) for a description of swimming in this species.
Note: See message #12545 proposing that A. brasiliana is a synonym.

Reference:
• Bebbington, A. & Hughes, G.M. (1973) Locomotion in Aplysia (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Proceedings of the Malacological Society, London, 40: 399-405.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (February 21) Aplysia fasciata Poiret, 1789. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/aplyfasc

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