Why so many sea slugs??

July 19, 2007
From: Dew Bakker

I was at a little island off the west coast of Florida yesterday and with the current, I saw several dozen sea slugs go by. They were the dark tan color with faint spots. Just like the pictures show when I googled sea slugs. Now, I've spent many many days out at the beach and little islands in the area over many years, and I've never even seen these little guys! I've heard that they are a sign of good water quality... is this true or is there another reason?

Locality: St Petersburg , Florida, Gulf of Mexico

Dew

roverdew@gmail.com

Bakker, D., 2007 (Jul 19) Why so many sea slugs??. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20248

[Note added 20 July 2007: This is almost certainly Bursatella leachii. See message #20247]

Dear Dew,

It seems to be a good year from Sea Hares in west Florida. I have received quite a few messages in the last week or so about this phenomenon so have a look at my reply to message #20225, and follow the links [underlined words or numbers] to other messages and Fact Sheets I have suggested. You should find plenty of background information.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jul 19). Comment on Why so many sea slugs?? by Dew Bakker. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20248

Factsheet

Bursatella leachii

Related messages

  1. Bursatella leachii from Thailand
    From: Nick Chapman, May 20, 2010
  2. Bursatella leachii from sthn Queensland
    From: Deb Aston, April 29, 2010
  3. Sydney Sea hare ID
    From: George Evatt, April 29, 2010
  4. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Bella Galil, March 23, 2010
  5. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Levent Cavas, March 23, 2010
  6. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Boris Weitzmann, March 19, 2010
  7. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Bella Galil, March 19, 2010
  8. Probable Bursatella leachii from Japanese waters
    From: Hiroyuki Tanaka, March 19, 2010
  9. Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Boris Weitzmann, January 29, 2010
  10. Re: Bursatella leachii subspecies
    From: Deng Yan Zhang, August 18, 2009
  11. Bursatella leachii from New Zealand
    From: Graham Bould, March 27, 2009
  12. Re: Bursatella washing ashore East Florida
    From: Ed Proffitt, December 12, 2008
  13. Bursatella leachii & egg masses from Florida
    From: Anne DuPont, November 21, 2008
  14. Re: Bursatella leachii or Bursatella leachi?
    From: Fabio Crocetta, November 21, 2008
  15. Bursatella leachii or Bursatella leachi?
    From: Fabio Crocetta, November 20, 2008
  16. Re: Bursatella leachii from Florida - egg mass
    From: Robert Bocik, November 18, 2008
  17. Bursatella leachii from Mozambique
    From: Valda Fraser, April 14, 2008
  18. Re: Bursatella leachii from Lembeh Straits
    From: Linda Rutherford, March 28, 2008
  19. Bursatella leachii from Turkey
    From: M. Kazak & L. Cavas, November 24, 2007
  20. Bursatella washing ashore East Florida
    From: Jon Moore, November 13, 2007
  21. Bursatella leachii at Sanibel Island, Florida
    From: Camilla Cheatham, November 12, 2007
  22. Slug or not?
    From: Gary Jackson, August 11, 2007
  23. Sea Slug Mating Season? - Florida
    From: Lisa Overstreet, July 19, 2007
  24. Sea slug sighting - Panama City Beach, Florida
    From: James Ker, July 18, 2007
  25. Re: Sea slugs washed ashore - Florida
    From: Brian Mason, July 18, 2007
  26. Sea Hares at Panama City Beach, Florida
    From: Theresia Schwinghammer, July 17, 2007
  27. Sea slugs washed ashore - Florida
    From: Cheryl Bodden, July 16, 2007
  28. What type is this?
    From: Tom Johnson, July 16, 2007
  29. Bursatella leachii
    From: Doug Clark, June 28, 2007
  30. Fremantle, Western Australia - many new sightings
    From: Brent Murdoch, May 8, 2007
  31. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Mark Javer, April 3, 2007
  32. Bursatella in aquarium
    From: Lori Blair, March 28, 2007
  33. Bursatella leachii from Tampa, Florida
    From: Angie Kuzminski, March 7, 2007
  34. Bursatella leachii in Malaysian shrimp ponds
    From: Huan Ung, February 28, 2007
  35. Bursatella leachii from the Gulf coast of Florida
    From: Sonnia Smith, January 24, 2007
  36. Bursatella leachii from New South Wales
    From: Keith Suddaby, January 16, 2007
  37. Bursatella leachii subspecies
    From: Augusto Medeiros, January 12, 2007
  38. Re: Opisthobranch ova & capsules
    From: Tony Fernando, November 16, 2006
  39. Ragged Sea Hares on the beach
    From: Cathy Zollo, August 28, 2006
  40. Bursatella leachii from Guajira, Colombia
    From: Adriana Aguirre, March 13, 2006
  41. Bursatella leachii from Queensland
    From: Alison Miller, March 7, 2006
  42. Is the genus Barnardaclesia valid?
    From: Carlo Magenta Cunha, February 2, 2006
  43. Bursatella leachii from Gulf coast, Florida
    From: Bryan Wanderlingh, August 30, 2005
  44. Bursatella leachii aggregation in Trinidad, West Indies
    From: Sherri Deaver, August 25, 2005
  45. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Bryan Wanderlingh, August 15, 2005
  46. Bursatella leachii from Western Australia
    From: Melvyn Lintern, July 11, 2005
  47. Re: Albino form of Bursatella leachii
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 31, 2005
  48. Another Bursatella leachii with eggs
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 31, 2005
  49. Albino form of Bursatella leachii
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 27, 2005
  50. Bursatella leachii - another colour form
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 27, 2005
  51. Bursatella leachii - an aquarium tale
    From: Lori Doyle, May 12, 2005
  52. Bursatella leachii from Brazil
    From: Vinicius Padula, February 16, 2005
  53. Bursatella leachii? from Venezuela
    From: Sylvia Grune, February 10, 2004
  54. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Justin D, January 25, 2004
  55. Bursatella leachii from Turkey
    From: Umut Tural, January 13, 2004
  56. Bursatella leachii defense
    From: Brian, December 5, 2003
  57. Re: Bursatella leachii from Madagascar
    From: Franck Ducharne, August 21, 2003
  58. Bursatella leachii from Madagascar
    From: Franck Ducharne, August 18, 2003
  59. Bursatella leachii from Tunisia
    From: Anis, April 30, 2003
  60. Bursatella leachii from Croatia
    From: Adam Petrusek, April 10, 2003
  61. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Linda Ianniello, March 3, 2003
  62. Bursatella leachii from Florida - egg mass
    From: Linda Ianniello , March 3, 2003
  63. Bursatella leachii question
    From: Cheri , February 12, 2003
  64. Bursatella leachii from Chek Jawa, Singapore
    From: Ria Tan, January 31, 2003
  65. Bursatella leachii? from Florida
    From: Jeremy Catches, September 12, 2002
  66. Re: Bursatella? from Florida
    From: Jan Clark, August 16, 2002
  67. Bursatella leachii from eastern Australia
    From: John Pogonoski, August 15, 2002
  68. Bursatella? from Florida
    From: Jan Clark, August 15, 2002
  69. 'shaggy dog' slug from Queensland
    From: Caroline Deane-Caleffi, June 20, 2002
  70. Estuarine Aplysiids in eastern Australia
    From: Rachel Przeslawski, May 3, 2002
  71. Re: Bursatella from New South Wales
    From: Ian Mackey, March 30, 2002
  72. Sea Slug? from Saratoga Bay NSW
    From: Ian Mackey, March 25, 2002
  73. Seahare bloom in Coffs Harbour marina, NSW
    From: Hamish Malcolm, November 29, 2001
  74. Bursatella leachii in New Zealand
    From: John Buckeridge, October 22, 2001
  75. Bursatella leachii - AP Biology exam
    From: Stacy B., September 26, 2001
  76. thank you!
    From: JJ, August 25, 2001
  77. Bursatella leachii from Colombia
    From: Elianny Domínguez, May 30, 2001
  78. Help on Bursatella
    From: Josephine, April 12, 2001
  79. Bursatella leachii - behaviour
    From: James, March 11, 2001
  80. Sea Hare deaths in Florida continue
    From: Dana Mueller , March 9, 2001
  81. Re: Sea Hares in Florida
    From: Dana Mueller, February 28, 2001
  82. Sea Hares in Florida (1)
    From: Dana Mueller, February 27, 2001
  83. Bursatella leachi plei in the Intertidal Zone?
    From: Randi Bambach, October 19, 2000
  84. I need information on Bursatella leachii
    From: Sarah Dacres, September 3, 2000
  85. Re: Bursatella from Florida
    From: Douglas Anderson, August 5, 2000
  86. Sea Slug/Nudibranch? from Florida
    From: Douglas Anderson, July 31, 2000
  87. Re: Bursatella leachii & sewage
    From: Richard Willan , May 30, 2000
  88. Re: Sea Hares & sewage in Auckland, NZ
    From: John Buckeridge, May 27, 2000
  89. Re: Sea Hares & sewage in Auckland, NZ
    From: Joel Cayford, May 27, 2000
  90. Sea Hare that lives on sewage?
    From: Amelia Wong, May 24, 2000
  91. Sea Hares at North Shore City, New Zealand
    From: Joel Cayford, May 16, 2000
  92. Question about Bursatella leachii
    From: Emily Driesman, May 11, 2000
  93. Frilled Sea Hare in Florida
    From: Michelle van Deventer, February 28, 2000
  94. Bursatella from Colombia
    From: Phanor Montoya, February 16, 2000
  95. Information on Bursatella leachii
    From: Dana Rygwelski, September 28, 1999
  96. What shall we feed our dear little sea hare?
    From: Maggie Berry, August 28, 1999
  97. Sea Slugs from Biscayne Bay, Florida
    From: Luis, April 5, 1999
  98. Re: Spatial Distribution of Bursatella leachii
    From: Clare Kennedy, February 4, 1999
  99. Spatial Distribution of Bursatella leachii
    From: Ment Nguyen, January 23, 1999
  100. Re: nudibranch in my aquarium
    From: Rob See, January 8, 1999
  101. Re: Re: nudibranch in my aquarium
    From: Rob See, January 8, 1999
  102. Re: Bursatella in prawn ponds
    From: Tom Capo , December 8, 1998
  103. Re: Bursatella in prawn ponds
    From: Doug Pearson, December 7, 1998
  104. Bursatella leachii in prawn ponds
    From: Doug Pearson, December 6, 1998
  105. Behaviour in Bursatella
    From: Leah Wiesenfeld, July 27, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages