Aplysia gigantea? A. californica? from Japan

February 5, 2003
From: Jun Imamoto

Dear Bill,
I think this animal from Hachijyo Island, Japan looks like Aplysia gigantea. Before I knew about this species from the Forum I had thought it was Aplysia californica because of the colour pattern of the body. I would be very happy to hear your comments.

Hachijyo Island, Japan. 29 June 2001. Size approx: 700mm. Depth: 3m. Temperature: 22C. Photos: Jun Imamoto

Best Regards,
Jun Imamoto
http://umiushi.zive.net/

imamoto@wips.co.jp

Imamoto, J., 2003 (Feb 5) Aplysia gigantea? A. californica? from Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9129

Dear Jun,
At 70cm long it is certainly is large enough to be A. gigantea, but MacFarland records A. californica growing to 75cm, so both identifications are a possibility on size. Did your animal swim? A. gigantea is a vigorous swimmer, but I don't think A. californica does. Sea Hares that don't have a distinctive color pattern, such as the rings in Aplysia dactylomela, are quite difficult to distinguish from one another externally. I suspect its no coincidence that all the species we consider to have a circumtropical distribution have distinctive colour patterns, while all those with nondescript colour patterns are considered to have quite local distributions. It is possible that A. gigantea and its Australian east coast congener, A. extraordinaria, are the same species, and possibly, so are other animals from elsewhere in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Unfortunately they don't have good distinguishing characters. It would be interesting to know if your Japanese giant can swim. If it can't then perhaps it is A. californica. I would be interested in the opinions of our Californian colleagues.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Feb 5). Comment on Aplysia gigantea? A. californica? from Japan by Jun Imamoto. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9129

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Aplysia californica

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