Re: Mass mortality of Aplysia californica

September 5, 2005
From: Ellen Hall

Re: message #4025:
I live on the "Golfe du Lion" on the western Mediterranean, so my sea hares are a different variety from yours in California. Nevertheless the Med sea hares have for the past week or so been found dying or dead on a sandy beach known as "Paulilles" in the commune of Cosprons between Banyuls-sur-mer and Port Vendres. A local couple have told me that the sea hare deaths are the consequence of the end of the reproduction season. Some of the hares are just too exhausted! I have seen some bodies on the sandy bottom of Paulilles at about 3-6 feet being fed upon by other fish.

Locality: Paulilles, France. Mediterranean coast. Depth: 3-5 feet. Length: 18-30 cms. 02 September 2005. sandy bottom.

Ellen Hall

Ellenshall@aol.com

Hall, E, 2005 (Sep 5) Re: Mass mortality of Aplysia californica. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14704

Dear Ellen,
Yes your animal is probably Aplysia fasciata. Have a look at the earlier message [#3856] from southern France where I discuss a similar occurrence. Have a look at the Fact Sheet on mass mortality.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Sep 5). Comment on Re: Mass mortality of Aplysia californica by Ellen Hall. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14704

Factsheet

Mass mortality

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