Dolabella auricularia
| Dolabella auricularia | |
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| Dolabella auricularia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Aplysioidea |
| Family: | Aplysiidae |
| Genus: | Dolabella |
| Species: | D. auricularia |
| Binomial name | |
| Dolabella auricularia (Lightfoot, 1786) |
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Dolabella auricularia, common name the "wedge sea hare", is a species of large sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
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[edit] Description
Dolabella auricularia is a rather large species. It can reach a length of 40 cm. It can be recognized by a flattened disk on the posterior surface of the animal. This species can be found with soft pustules, leading to a rather knob-like appearance.[1] It has a short, blunt head. Its body is covered with tubercles and skin flaps. The inner shell has a typical earlike form. It gives off purple ink when disturbed. The penis is unarmed.
[edit] Distribution
Dolabella auricularia can be found in the Indian Ocean, Western and NW Pacific.
[edit] Habitat
This sea hare lives in areas that are sheltered from rough currents. They will often hide in seagrass, sand and mud, feeding on algae. Intertidal rock pools are also a favoured place to live.[2]
[edit] Human uses
Dolabella auricularia is sometimes used by keepers of large marine aquaria, to keep algal growths in the tank down, because the sea hare feeds on them.
[edit] References
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