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The genus Aplysia belongs to the family Aplysiidae and is a genus of sea hares, which are a type of sea slug. The general description of these sea hares can be found under the entry about the superfamily Aplysioidea (Sea hares)
Aplysia, when threatened, releases clouds of ink to blind the attacker. Following the lead of Eric R. Kandel, the genus has been studied as a model organism by neurobiologists, because this ink release response is mediated by electrical synapses, which allow several neurons to fire synchronously (Kandel et al., 2000). This quick neural response is necessary for a speedy reaction to danger by the animal.
Aplysia brasiliana (Rang, 1828) Mottled Sea Hare, Sooty Sea Hare (possibly = Aplysia fasciata)
Distribution West-Atlantic from New Jersey to Brazil, East-Atlantic around Ghana
Color from pale gray to green to dark brown.
Description large black rings on the mantle; good swimmer
Distribution Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean.
Description thin, yellow inner shell
Distribution North America, West-Atlantic
Distribution Western Australia, New Zealand.
Distribution East Atlantic, West Africa.
Color dark brown to black.
Description sometimes a red border to the parapodia and oral tentacles;
Distribution Western Australia.
Color dark brown to black
Description the skin secretions are very distasteful; washed up specimens; have been implicated in the deaths of dogs;
Distribution: cosmopolitan, in all warm seas
Color: various, from uniform to pale brown
Description: no purple gland, therefore no ink secretions; posterior end of the foot can act as a sucker
Color: dark brown to purplish black, dotted with white spots
Distribution: East Atlantic
Color: black to deep brown; no spots
Distribution: Indian Ocean; West Pacific
Description: small brown eye-spots
Distribution worldwide in warm to temperate seas
Color: brown to green spots
Distribution: NE Atlantic
Distribution: East Australia, Japan;
Description: not clearly defined
Aplysia vaccaria (Winkler, 1955) California Black Sea hare (possibly = Aplysia cedrocensis)
Distribution: Pacific Coast of California
Length: very big – up to 75 cm
Description: no purple ink; huge internal shell
Aplysia
Reference
| | Name | Aplysia | | image |  | | Regnum | Animalia | | Phylum | Mollusca | | Classis | Gastropoda | | Subclassis | Orthogastropoda | | Superordo | Heterobranchia | | Ordo | Heterobranchia | | Subordo | Anaspidea | | Superfamilia | Aplysioidea | | Familia | Aplysioidea | | Genus | Aplysia | | Subdivision Ranks | Species | | Subdivision | Species |
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