Re: Aplysia - Mass mortality
October 15, 1999
From: Anne Dupont
![](/images/aplybra4.jpg)
Bill,
As promised, here are some more photos of the Aplysia I found dying in large numbers. At top right is a photo showing purple ink spreading out from dying animals, and in the bottom left photo you can see the ink produced by one I have picked up. I hope they help you to identify it.
Anne.
adupont@gate.net
Dear Anne,
Thanks for the photos. In my separate message I discuss the problems with identifying west Atlantic Sea Hares. It seems that the general opinion is to identify your Sea Hare as Aplysia brasiliana. While Aplysia dactylomela from Florida, which you sent photos of today, is easily identifiable from its conspicuous black rings, there are many names available for 'dark' and 'mottled' species from the west Atlantic. Until someone studies living populations of these animals, it is going to be difficult to sort out how many species are found there and which names should be used. This is not a problem unique to the west Atlantic. The Indo-west Pacific species also have their share of nomenclatural problems.
My advice would be to cautiously use the name Aplysia brasiliana until a better solution is found.
Bill Rudman.
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