WHATSTHATFISH
Sea slugs & snails

Ocellate Sea Hare

Aplysia argus

Also known as: Black-spotted Sea Hare, Black-tailed Sea Hare, Indo-Pacific Sea Hare, Nudibranch, Ringed Sea Hare, Ragged Sea Hare, Rang's Sea Hare, White-speckled Sea Hare

Adult
@blogie · Dayang Beach Dive Site, Talikud Island, Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines · November 20111 / 1
01

Overview

Found singly, or in pairs, during the day hiding in crevices and under rocks, foraging for food at night, over mixed rock, sand, and seagrass beds, crawling into tide-pools, of coral and rocky reefs, rich in algae growth. When predators come too close, they will discharge a purple fluid to warn them off.

Opisthobranchia - Nudibranchs - Sea Slugs meaning "naked gills" are molluscs without a hard shell.
All opisthobranchs are hermaphrodites.
These beautiful slugs are usually brilliantly coloured and this in itself can act as a deterrent against predators. Some sea slugs secrete acid from stinging cells in their tentacles while others secrete acid from cells in their mantle.
Nudibranchs are slow moving, can swim or be propelled along either by muscular contraction or by millions of tiny hairs on the bottom of a fleshy 'foot', they have a voracious appetite and feed with a rasp like tongue.
Nudibranch lay their eggs in a ribbon effect on the sand, in different colours depending on species.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
frilly

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in pairs, during the day hiding in crevices and under rocks, foraging for food at night, over mixed rock, sand, and seagrass beds, crawling into tide-pools, of coral and rocky reefs, rich in algae growth.

04

Adult photos 1

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumMollusca
    3. classGastropoda
    4. orderAplysiida
    5. familyAplysiidae
    6. genusAplysia
    7. speciesAplysia argus Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Sea Hares (Aplysiidae)