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Sea Hare
Aplysia sydneyensis
-38.3918, 145.126
Field Notes
Description:
This sea slug would have been about 5 " in length. It had mottling of cream and brown. The ear-like sensory clubs or rhinophores and oral tentacle were withdrawn and the usually extended side flaps called parapodia were flipped back. The mantle and atrophied shell could be seen (pic 5) as a reddish radiating structure.
Habitat:
Seen washed ashore ( inter-tidal zone) - Western Port Bay-Balnarring beach.
Notes:
Aplysia squirt ink to deter or escape from predators. They are known for their ability to retract their siphones and gills as a protective measure. The species has been used extensively in the study of 'food-reward" learning - see reference for more information. <br>
We placed it back in the sea and hopefully, it survived.Would have loved to have seen it in water but it disappeared in the breaking waves full of tossed-up seagrass... <br>
Since first posting this spotting, Mark's further research and chat to an expert not only helped ID this specimen but here's what the expert had to say: <br>
Matt Nimbs said "Definitely Aplysia. And yes probably A sydneyensis, there is a wheel like pattern of radiating stripes on the mantle that sits over the vestigial shell: a distinguishing characteristic of sydneyensis"
My thanks to Mark and Matt Nimbs for their help. <br>
Class: Gastropoda
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