Is my sea hare sick?
July 18, 2005
From: Brian Vastag
Hi - I just found this forum and it's great. I'm hoping someone can help me out.
I bought a sea hare at the local fish store last week. I think it's a Dolabella auricularia, based on the info I found here. He/she was doing great, eating, cruising around. But today I noticed that part of what look like its innards are now outards. I don't know if this is normal or if something's gone terribly wrong.
If you look at the pic, it's the tube with the kidney shape at the end. It's coming out of the side of its 'head'. It's still moving around, so I guess that's a good sign. Any ideas? Is it normal?
Brian Vastag
brianvastag@comcast.net
Vastag, B., 2005 (Jul 18) Is my sea hare sick?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14278Dear Brian,
I am not sure of the species from your photo but the structure you are worried about is its penis. I suspect it is 'sick' because they don't normally walk around with it displayed like this. Often when they are not well the buccal bulb, the muscular organ containing the radular teeth, will pop out through the mouth, which is a sure sign the animal will die in a few hours.
Having a penis doesn't make it a 'he' it is still a he/she, all opisthobranch sea slugs being both male and female. Concerning keeping this animal alive in an aquaria. If it survives the present peculiarity, there is a chance it will survive. Sea hares feed on particular sea weeds, which are not a good thing to put in aquaria because many of them, particularly browns and reds, give off many toxic chemicals. Some poeple have had success feeding them with garden lettuce which is dunked in boiling water for a second or so and then put in the aquarium. Experiment with small pieces.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Related messages
-
Re: Suitability of Dolabella auricularia in an aquarium
From: Jorgen Svard, March 8, 2010 -
Dolabella auricularia diet
From: Keith Teller, November 16, 2009 -
Re: Dolabella auricularia from Tonga
From: Alastair Robertson, October 13, 2009 -
Re: Marine Spaghetti from the Philippines
From: Lorraine M. Cueva, September 25, 2009 -
Unknown from Camden Haven, New South Wales
From: Samson Kwok, January 9, 2009 -
Dolabella auricularia from Mozambique
From: Valda Fraser, April 14, 2008 -
Sea hare from Port Hacking, Sydney
From: David Robertson, April 7, 2008 -
Dolabella from South Africa
From: Waldo Nell, August 16, 2006 -
Re: Lukot - Marine Spaghetti from the Philippines
From: Richard Parker, August 3, 2006 -
Lukot - Marine Spaghetti from the Philippines
From: Richard Parker, August 1, 2006 -
Is Dolabella auricularia hermaphrodite?
From: Gary Majchrzak, July 10, 2006 -
Dolabella auricularia from Forster, NSW.
From: Colin Malakou, March 23, 2006 -
Re: Is my sea hare sick?
From: Brian Vastag, July 19, 2005 -
Dolabella auricularia from Sth Korea
From: Dong Bum Koh, July 18, 2005 -
Dolabella auricularia from Natal
From: Gerda du Raan, June 6, 2005 -
Dolabella auricularia in aquarium
From: Tomoko Schum, February 8, 2005 -
Sea Hare from Hawaii
From: Lyudmila Zinkova , December 23, 2004 -
Dolabella auricularia from Sydney Harbour
From: Greg Braun, August 11, 2004 -
Re: Sea Hares
From: Tom and Jack Burrows, February 4, 2004 -
Sea slugs?
From: Tom and Jack Burrows, February 3, 2004 -
Dolabella auricularia from Red Sea
From: Isabelle Drouet, January 22, 2004 -
Suitability of Dolabella auricularia in an aquarium
From: Carolyn Bryce, December 6, 2003 -
Inking behavior in Dolabella auricularia
From: Jaron Brown, October 3, 2003 -
Dolabella auricularia in the South China Sea
From: Kheong San Chang, April 17, 2003 -
Re: Dolabella - Captive breeding
From: Cathryn Clarke, March 31, 2003 -
Dolabella auricularia captive breeding
From: Hervé, March 29, 2003 -
Dolabella auricularia from the Philippines
From: Anevi Gunday, February 6, 2003 -
Dolabella auricularia from Lord Howe Island
From: W.B. Rudman, January 30, 2003 -
Dolabella auricularia and egg masses
From: Rachel Przeslawski, January 14, 2003 -
Re: Growth stages in Dolabella auricularia
From: Alicia Hermosillo, January 4, 2003 -
Re: Growth stages in Dolabella auricularia
From: Alicia Hermosillo, January 2, 2003 -
Re: Dolabella juveniles
From: Mary Jane Adams, January 2, 2003 -
Growth stages in Dolabella auricularia
From: Mary Jane Adams , January 1, 2003 -
Dolabella auricularia in the Philippines
From: Jonathan P. Ubaldo, December 5, 2002 -
EU survey of Dolabella
From: Kim Friedman , September 23, 2002 -
Aplysiid from Bahia de Banderas
From: Alicia Hermosillo, September 13, 2002 -
About dolastatines
From: Denis Berlemont, July 6, 2002 -
Dolabella auricularia from Sth Korea
From: Dong Bum, Koh, June 28, 2002 -
Natural history of Dolabella auricularia
From: Sheena, March 5, 2002 -
Dolabella auricularia from Japan
From: Nishina Masayoshi , November 5, 2001 -
Where can we find Dolabella
From: T. Thiru, September 15, 2001 -
Chemical defense in Dolabella
From: Julia Brooke, April 8, 2001 -
Diet of Dolabella auricularia
From: Arnaud Parenty, March 28, 2001 -
Re: Dolabella auricularia and burrowing
From: Don Barclay, March 19, 2001 -
Dolabella auricularia and burrowing
From: Don Barclay, March 17, 2001 -
Dolabella auricularia - source of new drug
From: Arnaud Parenty, February 24, 2001 -
Re: Sea Hare eggs
From: Nerissa Bontia, October 14, 2000 -
Dolabella auricularia from Solomon Ids
From: Bruce Potter, October 13, 2000 -
Aplysiid egg compounds
From: Kirsten Benkendorff, September 22, 2000 -
Sea Hare eggs
From: Nerissa Bontia, September 21, 2000 -
Re: Dolabella as food
From: Claudia Armann, July 23, 1999 -
Dolabella auricularia research
From: Sandeep K. Singh, June 22, 1999 -
Dolabella egg masses
From: Erwin Koehler, April 1, 1999 -
Re:Dolabella in Fiji - as food etc
From: Veikila Vuki, March 17, 1999 -
Re:Dolabella research in Fiji
From: Sandeep K. Singh, March 16, 1999 -
Re: Dolabella in Fiji
From: Sandeep K. Singh, March 16, 1999 -
Dolabella research in Fiji
From: Dr. Veikila Vuki, March 10, 1999