manado — 9 September 2025
- Location seen
- manado, Indonesia
- Date seen
- 2025-09-09
Aplysia parvula
Pygmy Sea Hare, Dwarf Sea Hare, Little Sea Hare, Mini Sea Hare
© Di Syrett / MacroDivers.com
About this species
- Current scientific name
- Aplysia parvula
- Common name
- Pygmy Sea Hare, Dwarf Sea Hare, Little Sea Hare, Mini Sea Hare
- Order
- Sea Hares (Anaspidea)
- Type
- N/A
- Genus
- Aplysia
- Species
- parvula
- Average size
- 5 mm
- Colours
- white, black, blue, purple, brown, cream
- Pattern
- spots, mottled, edged mantle
- Body shape
- with shell
- Rhinophores
- rolled
- Gills
- under mantle
Geographic Distribution
Circumtropical.
Identification
Tiny sea hare. Shell is visible. Much variation in colour from black, through shades of brown to white/cream. Two large oral tentacles as well as two rolled rhinophores.
Behaviour / Habitat
Feeds on red algae.
General Notes
Recent taxonomic research now suggests that Aplysia parvula may be a number of different species in areas outside the northwest Atlantic. So this sea hare found in the Pacific may be named A atromarginata or A nigrocincta at some point in the future.