Dolabrifera dolabrifera is a species of sea hare, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.[3] Dolabrifera dolabrifera, otherwise known as a Warty Seacat.[4] The animal goes by many names, including the common sea hare.[5] The Hawaiian name for Dolabrifera dolabrifera, is Kualakai.[5]
Dolabrifera dolabrifera | |
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A live individual of Dolabrifera dolabrifera, head end at the upper left | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Clade: | Euopisthobranchia |
Clade: | Anaspidea |
Superfamily: | Aplysioidea |
Family: | Aplysiidae |
Genus: | Dolabrifera |
Species: | D. dolabrifera
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Binomial name | |
Dolabrifera dolabrifera (Rang, 1828)
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Synonyms[2] | |
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The Seacat is a flat sea hare that grows to about 10 cm long.[6] The maximum recorded length is 108 mm.[7] It is commonly spotty green or brown, but it can also be reddish.[6] The animal's back half is typically wider and rounded, it narrows towards the head.[6] Warty Seacats are soft-bodied gastropods, who have lost a protective shell over time.[4] All species of sea hares have ink glands for chemical defense, though Dolabrifera dolabrifera does not release ink.[8]
This species is found in warm tropical and subtropical waters.[6]
These animals are majorly preyed on in their habitat.[4] The Seacats live in shallow-flat pools that contain large boulders, near-shore.[4] Collections of the hares gather underneath rocks in the intertidal zone.[9] At night the warty Seacats hide themselves in between cracks found in the boulders.[4] During the day, when the tide rises, the Seacats emerge.[4] Due to the varying in color and pattern, it is hard to distinguish them from other species in the habitat.[10] The minimum recorded depth for this species is 0 m; the maximum recorded depth is 3 m.[11]
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)