A swimming Sea Hare from Brittany

December 5, 2005
From: Kate Bryant

I came across a Sea Hare in a rock pool off the Southern coast of Brittany, France on the 10th September 2005. It was about 30 cms in length and appeared Black but on closer inspection was a very deep blue. It swam across the rock pool extending it's length by about another 6cms. It was quite happy grazing on the green vegetation in the pool.

Locality: Fort Bloqué, France. Atlantic. Depth: 0 - 30 cms. Length: 30 cms. 10 September 2005. clear rock pool. Photographer: Kate Bryant

I have searched your website but can find no Sea Hare of a similar proportion and colour. I would be interested to know it's full family name and how common is it to find one in a rock pool.

Kate Bryant

bryantk2@wanadoo.fr

Bryant, K., 2005 (Dec 5) A swimming Sea Hare from Brittany. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15396

Dear Kate,
This is almost certainly Aplysia fasciata. Many black slugs get a bluish sheen over them which is caused by a trick of light, the nature of which I have had explained to me but unfortunately forgotten. As you will see if you browse through some of the earlier messages on this species, it is a common swimming Sea Hare in Europe
 Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Dec 5). Comment on A swimming Sea Hare from Brittany by Kate Bryant. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15396

Factsheet

Aplysia fasciata

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