Aplysia juliana explained

Aplysia juliana, the walking sea hare, is a species of sea hare, a marine gastropod in the family Aplysiidae.^[1]

Distribution

Distribution of this species is cosmopolitan, circumtropical in all warm seas.^[2]

Description

This sea hare has no purple gland and therefore cannot produce ink, just milky secretions. The posterior end of the foot in this species can act as a sucker.^[3]

The color of this sea hare is very often brown with paler spots, but it can be various other shades including plain black all over.^[4]

The maximum recorded length is 300 mm.^[5]

A. juliana inhabits tidal pools and seagrass beds, to a depth of 20 metres.^[6]

Further reading

• Bebbington A. (1974) Aplysiid species from East Africa with notes on the Indian Ocean Aplysiomorpha (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 54(1): 63–99.
• Bebbington A. (1977) Aplysiid species from Eastern Australia with notes on the Pacific Ocean Aplysiomorpha (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 34: 87-147
• Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
• Branch, G.M. et al. (2002). Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg
• Rosenberg, G., F. Moretzsohn, and E. F. García. 2009. Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas

Notes and References

1. Gofas, S. (2010). Aplysia juliana Quoy & Gaimard, 1832. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138756 on 2011-02-26
2. Web site: Aplysia juliana (Quay and Gaimard, 1832) SURG - Solitary Island Underwater Research Group. 2020-11-06. www.surg.org.au.
3. Web site: jurisdiction=New South Wales; corporateName=Australian Museum; author=Rudman. W. B.. 2010-07-15. The Sea Slug Forum - Aplysia juliana. 2020-10-23. www.seaslugforum.net. en.
4. Web site: jurisdiction=New South Wales; corporateName=Australian Museum; author=Rudman. W. B.. 2010-07-15. The Sea Slug Forum - Aplysia juliana. 2020-10-23. www.seaslugforum.net. en.
5. Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. .
6. Web site: Aplysia juliana (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832), Sea Hare. 2020-10-23. Museums Victoria Collections.