Large tubercled ?Aplysia at Little Bay, Sydney

March 18, 2010
From: Kirsten Crosby

I saw what I think was an Aplysia today (14 March 2010) on the southern side of Little Bay (Sydney) in the rock pools, about 5 cm under the water, flattened across a rock. It was about 15 cm long, pale grey/brown in colour with darker brown tubercles all over its dorsal surface. I have seen many A. gigantea around Maroubra, La Perouse etc, but this was quite different. I would love to know what species it was. Unfortunately did not have my camera with me.

Locality: Little Bay, Sydney, 5 cm, NSW, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 14/3/2010, Rock Pools. Length: 15cm

cheers
Kirsten Crosby,
Sydney

kirsten.crosby@gmail.com

Crosby, K., 2010 (Mar 18) Large tubercled ?Aplysia at Little Bay, Sydney. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/23346

Dear Kirsten,

I suspect from your description of a 'flattened' Aplysia that the animal you saw was Dolabrifera brazieri. Have a look at the Fact Sheet for that species, and the attached messages, for photos and information on the species.

We usually call the animal you identify as A. gigantea by the name A. extraordinaria. As I say on that Fact Sheet, it is almost certainly the same as the Western Australian A. gigantea.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2010 (Mar 18). Comment on Large tubercled ?Aplysia at Little Bay, Sydney by Kirsten Crosby. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/23346

Factsheet

Aplysia extraordinaria

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