Sea Hare Aplysia Sp. Pics Need Id

[stanleo]

I put a post in the emergancy section but I need a real ID. I got a mail order for 2 clams, a crab and what was supposed to be a marine plant. Instead of the plant they sent my a Sea hare. I know this much, some are safe and some are poisonous. They algae like crazy, I should never touch because they don't like it, I need to suppliment with seaweed or boiled lettuce. The scientific name of it is Aplysia sp. but I don't the species and I need to because if its the poisonous kind I can't keep it.
 
here's a couple pics. The room is dimmed for acclimation so they are a little blurry.
 

 

 

[Donya]

Sea hare = marine plant?? LOL Wow. I'd say that fairly warrants a stern complaint to wherever you ordered from.
 
Can you get clearer pics? Looks to be Aplysia indeed rather than the more common Dolabella. Worst case is it could be coldwater and will die fairly quickly in a tropical setting, but the pics really need to be more in focus to tell concretely. There are some tropical Aplysia species (like A. juliana) but coldwater species are quite common as accidents in the trade as well. 
 
You can touch sea hares as long as your hands are clean, which is to say scrubbed well (absolutely need to be not greasy/oily) but with in no moisturizers, soaps, or other residues. This goes for all Gastropods, not just sea hares. I keep my hands that way all day since they're in and out of my tanks so much and some of my Gastropods actually like hands rather a lot. I've had old sea hares that liked to sit in a hand as well. The idea that touching sea hares and other Gastropods causes them harm is partly myth and the rest due to people not cleaning their hands properly for putting them in an aquarium.
 
Don't feed boiled lettuce - much less nutrition and also not even remotely like what they eat in the wild. Use dried seaweeds or other seaweed products like grazing blocks (messier - I prefer the dried seaweed for that reason). Sea hares eat a LOT and the main thing that does in the tropical species aside from old age (most are naturally not very long lived) is starvation.

 

[stanleo]

I know you can imagine my shock when I shined the light in the bag expecting to see a green plant and saw something moving!! This thing is awesome though and I really hope I can take care of him properly. As soon as he was done acclimating and I put him in the tank he went looking for food, found a patch of hair algae and started munching on it. I got a decent pic on my iPad so here it is. I hope its not a cold water species but I have looked and took the pic to my aquarium store and they couldn't ID the species. They had one for sale but it really looked nothing like mine. Their's was fuzzier looking and the rhinophores on theirs were just stumps while mine are at least half an inch. He's at least 5 inches long. While I was at the store I got some Omega One green seaweed for grazers and I put some in wedged in a rock crevasse. I hope that's right. Should I use a clip?
 
I have some concerns. One is the ink thing. I read that when startled they release an irritating purple ink. Some reports say that it is deadly and some that it isn't. I don't want it to kill everything in the tank.
 
Second, I have a pincushion sea urchin, will that provoke him if he gets poked by the spines?
 
Anyway, are the pics. They are better than the last one.
 

 

 
Thanks a lot. And this was kind cool. I put some sea weed right in front of him and he took it from my hand.

 

[stanleo]

I think I figured it out but I need you to verify. Aplysia californica? They are from the coast of California and northern Mexico. That's warm water, right? They do release the toxin but I haven't been able to find if this species is a danger to my aquarium or not.
 
Side note, its munching on the seaweed right now, so that makes me happy

 

[Donya]

Urgh...well that is still more ambiguous than I was hoping for, not pic-wise but animal-wise. There are several I've seen that look very similar to this one, including some A. juliana. Do you see any evidence of it using the back of its foot to sucker onto things? 
 
Unfortunately, if it is A. californica, the temperatures for the range is actually on the cooler side; University of Miami says they should be kept at 55-61F, which is in keeping with what I've heard/read about them in the past. However, as far as I know A. californica is also fairly rare as an accident as far as I know, whereas A. juliana is a fairly common accident. 
 
The urchin could definitely cause irritation if landed on. I doubt the urchin would jab it deliberately, but sea hares have a tendency to climb up glass and fall. 
 
 

They had one for sale but it really looked nothing like mine. Their's was fuzzier looking and the rhinophores on theirs were just stumps while mine are at least half an inch.

 
The most commonly sold sea hares are Dolabella auricularia and Bursatella leachii, so what you saw was probably one of those. Aplysia species are usually avoided since they are generally more potent in the ink department. Of course, that said, despite having many D. auricularia that were 100% safe, I found one jet black Dolabella that managed to nuke two tanks worth of fish and sea urchins before I realized that it was the source of the toxicity (still not totally convinced it was D. auricularia as I've never heard or read of a solid black one, but that was the only possible match really). As far as I know, most Aplysia are not that big of a risk, but make sure your skimmer is in tip top shape anyway as a precaution.

 

[Donya]

Something I just noticed...are the circulation pumps still as-is in other recent pics you've posted (i.e. with no additional mesh/floss/sponge/etc. covering them)? Slotted intakes without protective sponge or floss covers are a nontrivial hazard to sea hares. They don't tend to totally destroy themselves on smaller pumps, but they can still get stuck and larger pumps can sometimes kill sea hares. When it's just a matter of getting stuck, it's because tissue can get sucked or pushed in ever so slightly, swell, and then get trapped - which can still trigger inking from stress. Once in the past I had a Dolabella auricularia that somehow go its whole face stuck through the slots on an intake, which had to be destroyed to free the animal since the swelling that trapped it didn't go down after the pump was turned off. The sea hare was ultimately fine, but it took several hours and an extra pair of hands. 

 

[stanleo]

I definately saw it using its foot to sucker onto the rock. There are some pics that match A. juliana so I hope you are right about that. I'm glad I got 3 packs of seaweed cause it ate a whole sheet already. I think I am going to feed one of those a day.
 
Funny you should say that about the protien skimmer cause I just happened to get a new one today, its working pretty good.
 
I will keep an eye on the urchin. I don't want to get rid of either of them. Or maybe I should start researching setting up a second saltwater tank (like I haven't thought of doing that before LOL)
 
How do you put the seaweed in? Should I use a clip?

I didn't think about that. I will go tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion. You are awesome!

 

[Donya]

The back-of-foot sucker thing is one of the features used to distinguish A. juliana from some others, so that's likely what it is then. 
 
I wouldn't use seaweed clips unless you can find one that is nothing but rounded all over, including the part that applies pressure to keep it closed. I've had large Gastropods (sea hares, cowries, and Turbo snailsc.) get their feet sliced on various clips over time and quit using them because of that. The problem is that large, strong Gastropods will sometimes try to force the clip open more to get the last scraps. If there is even a moderately sharp edge on the inside of the plastic, it can still bite in and cut the animal as it lets go to try to leave. It's better to anchor it with a rock, stick the seaweed to the side, or use some sort of weighted tether that you can pull in and out.

 

[stanleo]

No clip then. Wedging it in the rock did work well but it was kind of a pain. Maybe I will anchor it with some seashells. Thanks again!
 
I think you are right on the ID. I found some pics that look like mine, that with the sucker foot. seems right. I am kind of in love with this thing, its the coolest thing in my tank!

 

[stanleo]

Ok I am a little worried about him. Last night he parked it in the top right back corner of the tank and hasn't left. He was going everywhere before that when the light went out. I put a seaweed sheet in and he still didn't budge. Turns around sometimes and I see him eating from that spot but I am worried that were wrong and that he is a cold weather species and that spot is comfortable for him. Hopefully hunger will make him move.
 
This is why I never wanted to get one after I researched them a couple years ago. I obsess about hard to keep animals to point where straight jackets need to be involved!

 

[Donya]

It could be an environmental problem or lingering shipping stress, but it could just be taking a small rest or it could even be an old individual if it's a smaller species. As sea hares get into old age, they go from being serious eating machines to mostly sleeping and periodically snacking. Most species aren't very long-lived and those commonly seen in the trade are often collected well into their lifespan, so it is not impossible to have one that is old and slowing down when you get it. 

 

[stanleo]

I figure I would give an update on this guy. He is doing great! After day 3 in the tank he started exploring the whole tank and eating algae. I think the lethargy that was noticed the first couple days was due to the salinity being too high. HE had to get used to it and once he was he was doing fine. Then I discovered the salinity was 1.030 and I changed it a little too fast to 1.025 in just 2 days. SO the lethargy came back. But he is now used to it and he is a little speed demon. For a slug that is. He eats almost nonstop. He devours a dried seaweed sheet in about an hour. Still eats algae and takes short breaks to sleep. I think he is very happy and may just live a long and healthy life. For a slug!

 

[stanleo]