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How does it look like?
Its usual length is about 7 centimeters. Although juveniles are almost all reddish in color, the body color of adults varies from green to brown, sometimes red and even purplish black. The body is dotted with lighter spots although sometimes the spots are dark. Occasionally a black pattern also appears. The body has a somewhat convex appearance and on both sides of the back, it has lateral extensions that allows it to swim (although not as well as other species of the same genus because both expansions unite quite high, which takes mobility away). The head has sensory organs, which are moderately long and seem to be rolled on its axis. The shell is internal, it can be up to 4 cm long, very fragile and translucent.
Where does it live?
It can be found in shallow waters, on muddy and sandy bottoms at very shallow depths, around 5 meters. During the day they usually hide in shady and calm areas and are active at night when they go out to graze in the seaweed. On some occasions, especially in summer, it can appear in large numbers on Ulva algae, its favorite food on our coasts, although it is also found on Codium algae.
How does it feed?
It feeds on red and green algae, depending on its vital state.
How does it reproduce?
They are all hermaphrodites simultaneously, so two animals always form a pair. The clutches of this species take place in spring and summer and are pink in color, appearing in the form of tangled strips.
Is a confusion possible?
It can be confused with Aplysia fasciata but this one has the edges of the lateral expansions of red color.
Curiosities
· It is believed that the base color of the animal depends basically on its diet.
· Juveniles are bright red as they feed on red algae, while adults are brownish green, as they feed on green algae.
· When disturbed, some specimens excrete a liquid, supposedly defensive, of intense purple color.
· Until 2019 it was considered that there was a very similar but smaller species, known as Aplysia parvula. It seems that biological studies have determined that they are all the same species, which would be Aplysia punctata.
Taxonomy
Phylum: Mollusca, Class: Gastropoda, Subclass: Opisthobranchia, Order: Anaspidea, Family: Aplysiidae, Genus: Aplysia |
