Aplysia depilans

(Gmelin, 1791)

Vernacular names
English : Mottled sea-hare
French : Aplysie commune

Classification
Class : Gastropoda
Order : Aplysiida
Family : Aplysiidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Long, wide and soft body with a hump on back, reaching a length of 30 cm. Sensory tentacles placed on top of head look like hare-ears. Coloration variable from dark greenish to brown with clear yellow, beige or white mottling.

Range and habitat
Eastern Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain to Madeira, Senegal and gulf of Guinea. Also occurs in Mediterranean sea. Lives on algae-covered rocky, sandy and muddy bottoms, down to 20 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NOT LISTED
CITES : Not listed
Status : This species’ status in the wild hasn’t been assessed but it’s fairly common in much of its range, at least in places where its habitat has been preserved.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

Back to “Mollusks, Leeches and Worms” page