Aplysia kurodai ? in Indonesia

July 3, 2008
From: Teresa Zuberbühler

Concerning message #17917:

Dear Bill
I saw in the forum, you have the distribution of Aplysia kurodai only in Japan, Korea and China. I saw this sea hare which I belive is the same species in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Locality: Lembeh, 10-15m, Sulawesi, Indonesia, Pacific, 28. March 2005, black sand. Length: 6-7cm. Photographer: Teresa (Zubi) Zuberbühler.

Best wishes
Teresa Zubi

webmaster@starfish.ch

Zuberbühler, T., 2008 (Jul 3) Aplysia kurodai ? in Indonesia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21638

Dear Zubi,

I suspect there are more names for sea hares than actual species. Most species have been named from one or a very few animals from a single location which doesn't allow for very much colour variation which we know occurs in these animals. If we look at photos of Aplysia dactylomela on the Forum we find a range from animals with very large open rings to others with small rings [see #20921] which could almost be identified as A. oculifera.

As I discuss in other places on the Forum, Aplysia kurodai was not very well described and as there are many species with a colour pattern of brown and white mottling. From photos I have seen it seems that what is called A. kurodai in Japan is a swimming species with relatively thin parapodia. Your photos seem to be of animal with thicker more rigid  parapodial flaps - more like A. dactylomela and A. oculifera. Also the colour pattern of dark and light bands on the inside of the parapodia is also more similar to A. dactylomela and A. oculifera. The scattered brown patches on the parapodia, which I have ringed, remind me of the brown background for the eyespots in A. oculifera. I suspect your animals are a colour form of A. oculifera, or even A. dactylomela.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Jul 3). Comment on Aplysia kurodai ? in Indonesia by Teresa Zuberbühler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21638

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