Aplysia punctata from the Western Isles, Scotland

October 3, 2007
From: Lindsay Bradley

Apologies if this is not an appropriate site to request an ID of a sea slug my family found - we are in the UK - but this looked the best sea slug site I could find on the internet.

We found this sea slug washed up by the Atlantic Ocean on Reef Beach, near Kneep, Uig, Isle of Lewis, Western Isles, Scotland. It was looking very collapsed but when we put it in a plastic drinking cup in some sea water it unfurled beautifully and seemed quite happy.

Locality: Reef Beach, near Kneep, Uig, Isle of Lewis, Western Isles, Scotland, UK, Found on the beach, Isle of Lewis, Western Isles, Scotland, UK, Atlantic Ocean, 30 September 2007, Intertidal, clean golden sands.. Length: 40 mm approximately. Photographer: Lindsay Bradley.

We have only ever seen sea slugs on TV or in books but couldn't identify what kind this is (if indeed it is a sea slug). The beach on which it was found is beautifully clean and sandy and unspoiled. We returned the sea slug carefully to the ocean, near the rocky coastline for shelter.

If anyone has any idea what kind of sea slug it is we would be really interested to know and would be very grateful.

Many thanks for your time.
Lindsay

L.R.Bradley@hotmail.co.uk

Bradley, L.R., 2007 (Oct 3) Aplysia punctata from the Western Isles, Scotland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20877

Dear Lindsay,
This is Aplysia punctata which is one of the three species of Sea Hares which can be found commonly around the UK coast at some times of the year. If you look at the relevant Fact Sheets, and the messages attached to them, you will find a lot of background information. Also if you look at the  General Topics list [in Index at the top left of each page] you will find a whole section on sea hares.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Oct 3). Comment on Aplysia punctata from the Western Isles, Scotland by Lindsay Bradley. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20877

Factsheet

Aplysia punctata

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