Aplysia? from Ratnagiri, India

March 11, 2009
From: Vishal J. Bhave.

Dear Bill,

I observed about 5 of these Sea Hares in a shallow rock pool. The rock pool had a dense cover of Padina vegetation.

One pair was observed mating.

Locality: Alawa, Mirya, Ratnagiri, 0.5 feet, Maharashtra, India, Arabian Sea / Indian ocean, 25 January 2009, Rock pool, rocky substratum, Intertidal,. Length: 6-8 cm. Photographer: Vishal Bhave.

Vishal Bhave

vishalbhave@gmail.com

Bhave, V.J, 2009 (Mar 11) Aplysia? from Ratnagiri, India. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22329

Dear Vishal,

I am pretty sure these are Aplysia oculifera. You will see from other photos on the Forum that this species usually has small brown 'eye rings' [which give it the name oculifera] but in your specimens they are just small brown spots. However each brown spot is sitting on a translucent brown patch, which is just the same as the brown rings in more typical A. oculifera. That species often has quite a dense covering of small white spots. Although not as plentiful in your animals, you can certainly see them in your photos. The animals is your lower photo certainly appear to be mating

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Mar 11). Comment on Aplysia? from Ratnagiri, India by Vishal J. Bhave.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22329

Factsheet

Aplysia oculifera

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