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We publish another encounter with the Sea hare, Aplysia depilans, this time which took place on a depth of about 42/45 meters. We are on a not very high rock wall about 4/5 miles from the coast where, due to the now increasingly present mucillage, animals and marine organisms seem to have disappeared.
Aplysia depilans Sea hare Lepre di mare Ballerina spagnola intotheblue.it
However, exploring the seabed below the wall we found a beautiful specimen of about 40 cm of sea hare looking for food. These nudibranchs are very delicate and when they meet you should avoid any contact to avoid breaking the thin and fragile shell that this species still has hidden under the wings it uses for swimming.
Sea hare, Aplysia depilans, a shy and fascinating mollusk. It lives at night and uses its ink to defend itself from predators.
Aplysia depilans Sea hare Lepre di mare Ballerina spagnola intotheblue.it
Sea hare or sea nun is a gastropod mollusc that lives in areas rich in vegetation such as the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Usually black in color, it can also have color tints ranging from white to red. The sea hare has a transparent, very fragile shell. They usually live attached to the rocks where they graze on the seabed (looking for green algae and seagrasses) curling up in order not to be preyed upon. Once the food is exhausted, they move by spreading their “wings”, two fins which, by waving in a composed manner, make it seem as if the mollusc were flying into the water. The sea hare can reach 30 cm in length.
in some areas of the Mediterranean, in ancient times, sea hares were considered toxic and deadly. There was even a widespread rumor that anyone who touched it would lose hair and hair (hence the name of the species Aplysia depilans).
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aplysia_depilans
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