Aplysia morio

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Aplysia morio
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Euopisthobranchia
clade Aplysiomorpha
Superfamily:
Aplysioidea
Family:
Aplysiidae
Genus:
Aplysia
Species:
A. morio
Binomial name
Aplysia morio
Synonyms [1]
  • Aplysia donca Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1960
  • Tethys (Aplysia) morio Verrill, 1901

Aplysia morio, the Atlantic black sea hare or sooty sea hare, is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares. It lives in warm waters in the Caribbean Sea and off the south and southeastern coast of the United States, where it feeds on seaweed.

In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.

Sea slug group of marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs

Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are actually gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails that over evolutionary time have either completely lost their shells, or have seemingly lost their shells due to having a greatly reduced or internal shell. The name "sea slug" is most often applied to nudibranchs, as well as to a paraphyletic set of other marine gastropods without obvious shells.

Gastropoda class of molluscs

The gastropods, more commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca, called Gastropoda. This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from the land. There are many thousands of species of sea snails and slugs, as well as freshwater snails, freshwater limpets, and land snails and slugs.

Contents

Description

Aplysia morio is a bulky sea slug that can grow to a length of 30 cm (12 in) or more. It is usually dark chocolate brown to blackish in colour, and sometimes dark lines are visible on the head and flanks. The tentacles are curled and shaped rather like rabbit's ears. They are rich in nerve cells and are equipped with receptor organs. The shell is a fragile disc, hidden within the mantle, and the foot has large flaps at the side called parapodia which are used for swimming. [2] [3]

The term parapodium refers to two different organs. In annelids, parapodia are paired, un-jointed lateral outgrowths that bear the chaetae. In several groups of sea snails and sea slugs, 'parapodium' refers to lateral fleshy protrusions.

Distribution and habitat

This species is found in the semi-tropical western Atlantic Ocean. Its range includes the eastern coast of the United States, Bermuda, the West Indies, Florida, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and Venezuela. It typically lives in shallow water, down to depths of about 40 m (130 ft) in areas where there is little wave action. It is usually found on rocky surfaces among the algae that it feeds on, but is also found on sandy seabeds. [2]

Ecology

Aplysia morio feeds on algae. In Bermuda juveniles seem to feed almost exclusively on species of the red alga Laurencia , even though there is a wide range of algae to choose from. Adults widen their diet slightly to include Palmaria palmata . The animal either crawls over the seaweed or rears up to grasp the fronds with its radula and the odontophore (cartilage) that supports it. It may also swim, in a manner reminiscent of a manta ray, when looking for food. [2]

<i>Laurencia</i> genus of algae

Laurencia is a genus of red algae that grow in temperate and tropical shore areas, in littoral to sublittoral habitats, at depths up to 65 m (213 ft).

<i>Palmaria palmata</i> species of edible alga

Palmaria palmata, also called dulse, dillisk or dilsk, red dulse, sea lettuce flakes, or creathnach, is a red alga (Rhodophyta) previously referred to as Rhodymenia palmata. It grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is a well-known snack food. In Iceland, where it is known as söl, it has been an important source of dietary fiber throughout the centuries.

The radula is an anatomical structure used by mollusks for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the oesophagus. The radula is unique to the molluscs, and is found in every class of mollusc except the bivalves, who use instead cilia, waving filaments that bring minute organisms to the mouth.

An adult is a hermaphrodite that can act as a male and a female at the same time. As the penis of one individual is inserted into the genital opening of another, chains or clusters of mating sea hares can form. The initially spawning individual releases chemical signals that can trigger spawning in others, which may culminate in a mass spawning event. Fertilized eggs hatch and develop into veliger larvae, which drift with the plankton for at least a month and settle onto Laurencia seaweed. [2]

Hermaphrodite organism with both male and female reproductive organs

In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has complete or partial reproductive organs and produces gametes normally associated with both male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which either partner can act as the "female" or "male." For example, the great majority of tunicates, pulmonate snails, opisthobranch snails, earthworms and slugs are hermaphrodites. Hermaphroditism is also found in some fish species and to a lesser degree in other vertebrates. Most plants are also hermaphrodites.

Veliger

A veliger is the planktonic larva of many kinds of sea snails and freshwater snails, as well as most bivalve molluscs (clams) and tusk shells.

Plankton Organisms that live in the water column and are incapable of swimming against a current

Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that live in large bodies of water and are unable to swim against a current. The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. They provide a crucial source of food to many large aquatic organisms, such as fish and whales.

Related Research Articles

California sea hare species of mollusc

The California sea hare, Aplysia californica, is a species of sea slug in the sea hare family, Aplysiidae. It is found in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California in the United States and northwestern Mexico.

Anaspidea suborder of molluscs

The clade Anaspidea, commonly known as sea hares, are medium-sized to very large opisthobranch gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell made of protein. These are marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamilies Aplysioidea and Akeroidea.

Aplysiidae family of molluscs

Aplysiidae is the only family in the superfamily Aplysioidea, within the clade Anaspidea. These animals are commonly called sea hares because, unlike most sea slugs, they are often quite large, and when they are underwater, their rounded body shape and the long rhinophores on their heads mean that their overall shape resembles that of a sitting rabbit or hare.

<i>Phyllaplysia</i> genus of molluscs

Phyllaplysia is a genus of sea slugs, specifically sea hares, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.

<i>Aplysia</i> genus of molluscs

Aplysia is a genus of medium-sized to extremely large sea slugs, specifically sea hares, which are one clade of large sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks.

<i>Stylocheilus</i> genus of molluscs

Stylocheilus is a genus of sea slugs, specifically sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.

Slippery dick Species of fish

The slippery dick is a species of wrasse native to shallow, tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Aplysia fasciata</i> species of mollusc

Aplysia fasciata, common name the "mottled sea hare", or the "sooty sea hare", is an Atlantic species of sea hare or sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae.

<i>Aplysia dactylomela</i> species of mollusc

Aplysia dactylomela, the spotted sea hare, is a species of large sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.

<i>Aplysia punctata</i> species of mollusc

Aplysia punctata is a species of sea slug which is a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares. It reaches a length of up to 20 cm (7.9 in) and is found in the northeast Atlantic, ranging from Greenland and Norway to the Mediterranean Sea.

Dwarf sea hare species of mollusc

The dwarf sea hare or pygmy sea hare, Aplysia parvula, is a species of sea hare, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Aplysiidae.

<i>Aplysia vaccaria</i> species of mollusc

Aplysia vaccaria, also known as the black sea hare and California black sea hare, is a species of extremely large sea slug, a marine, opisthobranch, gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae. It is the largest sea slug species.

<i>Bosellia mimetica</i> species of mollusc

Bosellia mimetica is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Boselliidae.

Seaweed blenny species of fish

The seaweed blenny is a species of combtooth blenny found in coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of New York, Bermuda, the Bahamas, also in the Gulf of Mexico, south to southern Brazil. This species reaches a length of 8.5 centimetres (3.3 in) TL.

<i>Tethys</i> (gastropod) genus of molluscs

Tethys is a genus of sea slugs, nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Tethydidae.

Leptogorgia hebes, commonly known as the regal sea fan or false sea fan, is a species of soft coral in the family Gorgoniidae. It was formerly included in the genus Lophogorgia but that genus has been dismantled.

Siderastrea radians, also known as the lesser starlet coral or the shallow-water starlet coral, is a stony coral in the family Siderastreidae. It is found in shallow parts of the western Atlantic Ocean as small, solid mounds or encrusting sheets.

<i>Aplysia depilans</i> species of mollusc

Aplysia depilans, the "depilatory sea hare", is a species of sea hare or sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae. Its name has led to a folk etymology that its consumption caused hair loss.

Opaline gland

Sea hares are gastropods without hard shells, using their specialized ink as their main defensive mechanism instead. Their ink has several purposes, most of which have a chemical basis. For one, the ink serves to cloud the predator's vision as well as halt their senses temporarily. In addition, the chemicals in the ink mimic food. Their skin and digestive tract are toxic to predators as well. They are also seen to change their feeding behaviours in response to averse stimuli.

References

  1. 1 2 Rosenberg, Gary (2015). "Aplysia morio (A. E. Verrill, 1901)". World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Coviello, Liana. "The Undertaker (Aplysia morio)". Marine Invertebrates of Bermuda. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Rudman, W.B. (8 March 2001). "Aplysia morio Verrill, 1901". Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
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