A typical smooth-skinned sea hare with prominent tentacles and ear-like rhinophores. Green-brown, speckled with small, white-centred black spots.
Up to 150 mm in length.
Common in shallow bays and estuaries. Hides by day and emerges at night to graze on seaweeds.
Two Oceans: A Guide to the Marine Life of Southern Africa (2007).
Booty Ink
Sea hares release a purplish ink secretion as part of their predatory escape mechanism, dispelling predators via smell and taste as well as temporarily blinding them ! This purple ink is made of different molecules, including the aplysioviolin (most potent) and the phycoerythrobilin, that are derived from a light-harvesting protein present in the photosynthetic system of the eaten seaweeds
(Kamio et al., 2010). In short, the sea hares are converting a photosynthetic pigment harvested through their diet into a chemical deterrent !
F*CK FISH 