Hi
Since Cornwall WT put this out I have had reports of a further 4
large specimens caught in Poole Bay, Dorset.

I am also keen to hear of any other records of these two large
species of Aplysia. The only ones I am aware of for Aplysia
fasciata prior to August of this year are:

1800s - several in the Channel Islands
15/02/1949 - Salcombe Estuary
8/07/1971 - Galway Bay, Ireland
2/08/1971 - Killary Bay, Ireland
Late 70s or early 80s - Exmouth Beach, Devon
1990 - Gillan Creek, Helford, Cornwall
1997? - Saltstone, Salcombe Estuary, Devon

i.e. only six in the last hundred years.

You may be interested in the info I have gathered for the media -

Aplysia fasciata at the National Marine Aquarium

A specimen of 30 to 35 cm and weighing 1.5 kg was caught in Poole
Bay, Dorset, just outside of Poole Harbour on 14th October 2007, in
a trammel net by John Green of the FV. Serendipity. It was caught
in 3 - 4 m of water on sand on a flooding tide, while fishing for
sole and bass. Subsequently a further four large sea hares have
been caught by fishermen in the same area.

It was brought into the National Marine Aquarium where it is now on
show as our "Feature Creature" in our recently refurbished Shallow
Waters, Hidden Depths exhibit, where it is devouring very large
quantities of sea lettuce Enteromorpha latuca.

Aplysia fasciata is the largest and the rarest of the three species
of sea hare found in the British Isles. It is an Atlantic species,
found from the Channel to Angola (South west Africa and to Brazil)
and also throughout the Mediterranean. It appears to reach its
northern limit in Ireland and along the Channel coast of England.
It is one of the largest sea slugs in the world. The other two
British species are the relatively common Aplysia punctata variable
in colour and growing to 20 cm; and the uncommon Aplysia depilans
with different shaped back lobes, brown or green and growing to a
maximum of 30 cm.

There were several in the Channel islands in the mid 1800s, but the
first one in mainland Britain was found on the Saltstone in Salcombe
Estuary, Devon, at extreme low water in February 1949. Another was
found at the same place in 1997. They are very rare but have also
been found in Ireland and Cornwall. This year from late August to
mid October, a number of individuals have been found from south west
Cornwall to Dorset and in Jersey. Several were washed up on two
beaches on the south Devon coast (described as "purple, slug-like,
up to the size of a rugby ball"), and egg masses have been found in
a sheltered inlet.

They are impressive animals growing to 40 cm and weighing up to 2
kg. Most found in Britain have been smaller, but the specimen from
Poole was a large one of 30 to 35 cm and 1.5 kg.

While called sea slugs they are very different from garden slugs,
being some of the most spectacular and beautiful of molluscs.

The sea hares have a small thin internal shell, largely covered by
the large wing-like body flaps (parapodial lobes) which also protect
their gills. These give it a bat-like appearance when swimming.
They vary from bright red to brown in colour, have a clear head,
tiny eyes and have two pairs of tentacles, the larger of which look
like rabbit's ears. It is these tentacles along with its large size
and rounded body shape that give it a rabbit-like look and
consequently its common name. When stressed they release a purple
ink into the water which is contains the toxin opaline. The animals
are said to be mildly toxic but are eaten in some areas of the
world.

Most sea slugs feed on other animals including sea anemones, but the
sea hares are vegetarians preferring seaweed.

They come inshore to breed, most usually in the Spring. Each sea
hare is both male and female being a simultaneous hermaphrodite.
They are known to form long mating chains each animal being a male
to the one in front of it and female to the one behind. The penis
is on the side of the head just below the right anterior (cephalic)
tentacle. They then lay a pink to orange chain of eggs forming
large spaghetti-like masses at the bottom of the shore or in shallow
water. The young hatch from these, spend some time as a veliger
larva in the plankton and them settle on algae as a tiny 1-2 mm sea
hare. They grow rapidly reaching full size in a year, before
breeding and dying.

They are a rare southern species but a combination of climatic
conditions appear to have brought quite a few to our southern shores
this year. This is probably a one-off occurrence. There is no
reason at present to link it to climate change, though it could be
related to changes in oceanic currents.

regards, Doug

This email is just to let you know about the new article about Large
Helford
> Sea-hares is now available on the Helford Voluntary Marine
Conservation Area
> web site at http://www.helfordmarineconservation.co.uk/news.htm
>
> All sightings of these larger species would be of great interest
and
Dr Paul
> Gainey would try to visit any find within range or as far as
practicable
> Tel: 01326 372 840.
>
> Best regards
> Jayne Herbert
> On behalf of Dr Pamela E Tompsett, Helford Voluntary Marine
Conservation
> Area
> www.jayne-herbert.co.uk
>