Bursatella
Encyclopedia
Bursatella leachii, common name
the ragged sea hare or shaggy sea hare, is a species
of large sea slug
or sea hare
, a marine
gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae
, the sea hares.
and down to at least 10 m on coastal areas of the Indo-West Pacific oceans
, the Caribbean Sea
and the Mediterranean Sea
.
Bursatella leachii is green to greenish brown. It has a broad and short head. Its mantle
is covered with papillae (finger-like outgrowths), which give it a thorny aspect. The mantle has a network-like pattern with blue eyespots (ocelli
) in black spots and green areas. It moves slowly on a broad foot. There is short, sharp tail. The short parapodia (fleshy, winglike outgrowths) are fused on their rear end.
The length is up to 15 cm but usually between 5 and 10 cm.
The maximum recorded length is 120 mm.
Minimum recorded depth is 0 m. Maximum recorded depth is 7 m.
It may be found in dense concentrations or singly. It is herbivorous. The species lays egg ribbons in long green stringy tangles.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the ragged sea hare or shaggy sea hare, is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of large sea slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
or sea hare
Sea hare
The clade Aplysiomorpha, commonly known as Sea hares or Sea Bags , are medium-sized to very large Opisthobranchia with a soft internal shell made of protein...
, a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae
Aplysiidae
The superfamily Aplysioidea is a superfamily of mostly rather large sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Aplysiomorpha within the informal group Opisthobranchia.This superfamily contains only one family, the Aplysiidae; the sea hares...
, the sea hares.
Distribution
This is a circumtropical sea hare, the only species in its genus. It occurs in the intertidal zoneIntertidal zone
The intertidal zone is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide . This area can include many different types of habitats, with many types of animals like starfish, sea urchins, and some species of coral...
and down to at least 10 m on coastal areas of the Indo-West Pacific oceans
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
, the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
and the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
Description
Mantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
is covered with papillae (finger-like outgrowths), which give it a thorny aspect. The mantle has a network-like pattern with blue eyespots (ocelli
Ocellus
A simple eye refers to a type of eye design or optical arrangement that contains a single lens which detect light. A "simple eye" is so-called in distinction from a multi-lensed "compound eye", and is not necessarily at all simple in the usual sense of the word...
) in black spots and green areas. It moves slowly on a broad foot. There is short, sharp tail. The short parapodia (fleshy, winglike outgrowths) are fused on their rear end.
The length is up to 15 cm but usually between 5 and 10 cm.
The maximum recorded length is 120 mm.
Ecology
The species is usually found in estuaries and tidal pools, and more rarely on sandy bottoms.Minimum recorded depth is 0 m. Maximum recorded depth is 7 m.
It may be found in dense concentrations or singly. It is herbivorous. The species lays egg ribbons in long green stringy tangles.
Subspecies
Three subspecies have been described:- Bursatella leachii africana
- Bursatella leachii leachii Blainville, 1817
- Bursatella leachii pleii Rang, 1826