''Dolabrifera dolabrifera'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

sea hare The order Aplysiida, commonly known as sea hares ('' Aplysia'' species and related genera), are medium-sized to very large opisthobranch gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell made of protein. These are marine gastropod molluscs in t ...

, a marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Aplysiidae Aplysiidae is the only family in the superfamily Aplysioidea, within the clade Anaspidea. These animals are commonly called sea hares because, unlike most sea slugs, they are often quite large, and when they are underwater, their rounded body sha ...

, the sea hares. ''Dolabrifera dolabrifera,'' otherwise known as a ''Warty Seacat.'' The animal goes by many names, including the common

. The Hawaiian name for ''Dolabrifera dolabrifera, is Kualakai.''

Description & Biology

The Seacat is a flat sea hare that grows to about 10 cm long. The maximum recorded length is 108 mm. It is commonly spotty green or brown, but it can also be reddish. The animal's back half is typically wider and rounded, it narrows towards the head. Warty Seacats are soft-bodied

gastropods Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and from the land. Ther ...

, who have lost a protective shell over time. All species of sea hares have ink glands for chemical defense, though ''Dolabrifera dolabrifera does not'' release ink.

Distribution

This species is found in warm tropical and subtropical waters.

Habitat

These animals are majorly preyed on in their habitat. The Seacats live in shallow-flat pools that contain large boulders, near-shore. Collections of the hares gather underneath rocks in the intertidal zone. At night the warty Seacats hide themselves in between cracks found in the boulders. During the day, when the tide rises, the Seacats emerge. Due to the varying in color and pattern, it is hard to distinguish them from other species in the habitat. The minimum recorded depth for this species is 0 m; the maximum recorded depth is 3 m.Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". '' PLoS ONE'' 5(1): e8776. .

Life cycle

References

* Keen M. (1971). ''Sea shells of Tropical West America. Marine mollusks from Baja California to Perú''. (2nd edit.). Stanford University Press pp. 1064: * Bebbington A. (1977) ''Aplysiid species from Eastern Australia with notes on the Pacific Ocean Aplysiomorpha (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia).'' Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 34: 87-147. * Rolán E., 2005. ''Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda.'' * Rosenberg, G., F. Moretzsohn, and E. F. García. 2009. ''Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico'', Pp. 579–699 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.

Description & Biology

Distribution

Habitat

Life cycle

References

Further reading