Sooty Seahare

Overview

The sooty sea hare, also widely recognized as the mottled sea hare, is a notable marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the family Aplysiidae. This impressive sea slug inhabits broad Atlantic waters, spanning both western and eastern regions. Known for its distinctive appearance and active lifestyle, it stands out as one of the larger and more recognizable opisthobranch mollusks in its range.

Distribution & habitat

This species occurs widely in the Western Atlantic, ranging from New Jersey down to Brazil. In the Eastern Atlantic, it is found along the West African coast and throughout the Mediterranean Sea, with occasional sightings reaching the Atlantic coast of France.

Appearance

Coloration is typically black or very dark brown, frequently decorated with mottled light spots across the body and sometimes highlighted by a thin red border along the edges of the foot, tentacles, and swimming flaps. Like other sea hares, it features two oral tentacles, two smaller rhinophores near the neck, and a delicate, internal amber-colored shell hidden beneath the mantle covering its gills and internal organs.

Biology & behavior

When navigating the water column, these sea hares display a graceful, swimming motion by rhythmically flapping their parapodia like wings. When disturbed or physically threatened, they utilize an internal ink gland to release a purplish defensive secretion into the water. Their reproductive output includes long, pale cream-colored egg masses that resemble tangled, noodle-like strands.