Aplysia extraordinaria

Aplysia extraordinaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Aplysiida
Family: Aplysiidae
Genus: Aplysia
Species:
A. extraordinaria
Binomial name
Aplysia extraordinaria
(Allan, 1932)
Synonyms[1]
List
  • Aplysia (Varria) extraordinaria (Allan, 1932)· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysia cronullae Eales, 1960 (uncertain synonym)
  • Aplysia denisoni E. A. Smith, 1884 (possible senior synonym)
  • Tethys extraordinaria Allan, 1932 (basionym)

Aplysia extraordinaria, common name the "extraordinary sea hare", is a very large species of sea slug, more specifically a sea hare, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.[1]

Description

The length of the shell attains 30 mm and 27 broad.

(Described as Aplysia denisoni) The body is high and exhibits a distinct pedal disk, produced posteriorly into a caudal termination. The entire surface is wrinkled and dirty whitish, with black veining (possibly staining) within the wrinkles.

The mantle-lobes are moderately large, commencing anteriorly some distance behind the posterior tentacles and terminating slightly in advance of the tail. The anterior tentacles are large, compressed, and notably dilated. The posterior tentacles are large, cylindrical, with the apical slit not extending halfway down the outer side; they are positioned slightly closer to the oral tentacles than to the beginning of the mantle-lobes. The eyes are minute, situated near the outer anterior base of the tentacles.

The shell is very thin and straw-colored. [2]

Distribution

Its distribution includes the coast off of eastern Australia, northern New Zealand, and possibly a wider range.[3]

It is most likely the same species as Aplysia gigantea which is found off of the western coast of Australia, but this has yet to be confirmed.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Aplysia extraordinaria (J. K. Allan, 1932). 5 October 2025. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species.
  2. ^ Smith, E.A. (1884). Mollusca. pp. 34-116; 487-508 in: Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during the voyage of H. M. S. Alert 1881-2. Part I. The collections from Melanesia; Part II. Collections from the western Indian Ocean (xxv ed.). London: The Trustees [of the British Museum (Natural History)]. p. 89. Retrieved 5 October 2025. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Rudman, William (2010-07-15). "The Sea Slug Forum - Aplysia extraordinaria". Sea Slug Forum. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  • 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
  • Spencer, H.G., Marshall, B.A. & Willan, R.C. (2009). Checklist of New Zealand living Mollusca. Pp 196-219. in: Gordon, D.P. (ed.) New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume one. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch

Further reading

  • Hamatani I. & Baba, K. (2003). "A New Record of Aplysia (Varria) extraordinaria (Allan, 1932) (Opisthobranchia: Anaspidea) from Suruga Bay, Japan".
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