The Sea Hare: Rabbit of the Sea?

The Sea Hare, latin name Aplysia Dactylomela, represents an interesting and diverse sea slug that is a soft bodied opisthobranch, with a soft internal shell made out of a pertinacious material, and large wings or "parapodia" which enable sit to swim. The Sea Hare can be found in shallow regions or at depths of over 100'. They are most commonly found in intertidal rocky shores, tide pools and lagoon biotopes. Some species of Hares, such as the California Sea Hare, can obtain a length of 15" or so and weigh a few pounds. These mollusks represent one of the largest forms of sea slug(opisthobranches) and mollusks for that matter. The Sea Hare is different from the nudibranches in that the hare has internal gills, whereas nudibranches have what is known as "naked gills" and reside on the outside of its body. Their long tentacles were once thought to look like the long ears evident in wild hares that reside on land.

These Opisthobranches are great at removing and controlling most forms of algae as they are herbivores, feeding on vegetable matter with their radula, for the most part. Constantly foraging across the substrate in search of food, they will also help to aerate and stir up the benthic areas of a tank somewhat, similar to that of a Sea Cucumber.

Masters of camouflage, the sea hare will blend in, like an octopus, to its ambient surroundings almost becoming invisible to humans and would be predators alike. Their cryptic coloration and often drab coloration normally deters the average aquarist from pursuing one of these master of disguises. However, again with their ability to be considered a reliable and beneficial "clean up crew" addition, it would make sense to employ one of these into your diverse population of marine life.