A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Aplysia californica
Brown slug with black spots and a slightly orange lump on it's back.
Spotted at La Jolla Shores during low tide.
This creature was moving along on a rock surrounded by water and I just happened to see it. I was standing thigh deep in cold ocean water trying to get some pictures of it and I noticed that it had large holes that would open and close on it's body making different shapes. It also had two antenna looking things on it's back closer to the face (not it's eyes). There were no other slugs around that I could see so I don't think it was mating, but I am open to any and all suggestions of what this may be and what it's doing.
I've moved this sea hare from the Arthropod category to the Other category for you. Snails, sea hares and slugs are Mollusks. Arthropods have an exoskeleton and jointed limbs in at least one phase of their life. Think dragonfly, bee, crab, and ant.
Thanks for the ID, but it's interesting that the only sea hare I've ever seen before this was larger than three hands together and it was completely black. It's so cool that there's so much variation in a single species.
Spotted on Nov 25, 2011
Submitted on Nov 28, 2011
+1
