Swimming Sea Hare from Florida

January 22, 2004
From: Allen Peterson


The attached pictures are part of a video sequence that I took at my brother-in-law's in May of 2000. He lives on the Intercostal Waterway, Treasure Island, St. Petersburg, Florida. The video was taken during the incoming tide (about 18 inches), and the critter was trapped in the tidal backwater along the sea wall. It finally broke free and swam away. The attached pictures show the locomotion sequence.

I had never seen this type of creature before. I was told it was a sea cucumber. But something made me question that. I found your site trying to find what kind of critter this is.

I actually have a clean 51 seconds of .AVI file with four different sequences:
- struggling in a bed of seaweed
- trapped on the seawall
- closeup swimming on surface
- somewhat further away, swimming just below surface.

I do my video computer work using Adobe Premier 5.1, which gives me full editing ability, although it is not the newest version. Video quailty is quite good. I presume I am correct in stating this IS a Sea Hare. If not, please correct me. Also, If the swimming sequences are of any use on the internet I would be happy to donate them. Let me know if you are interested.

Al Peterson

alpeterson@attbi.com

Peterson, A., 2004 (Jan 22) Swimming Sea Hare from Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11754

Dear Al,
Your animal is indeed a Sea Hare and is most probably Aplysia brasiliana. Have a look at the species Fact Sheet and the other messages on the Forum about this species for further information.

Concerning the video clip. At this stage I'm afraid funds don't allow me to include video footage of sufficient quality on the Forum but I am always hopeful that technology or some benefactor will make that possible in the future. So I would welcome a copy of your video clip. I can't promise to use it but if in the future I am able to include some video footage it will mean I have some available. It would be best sent to me in digital format on CD to:
Dr Bill Rudman
The Australian Museum
6 College St,
Sydney, NSW 2010
Australia

Thanks
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Jan 22). Comment on Swimming Sea Hare from Florida by Allen Peterson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11754

Factsheet

Aplysia brasiliana

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