Dolabella (genus)
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Dolabella | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Dolabella auricularia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Dolabella (Lamarck, 1801) is a genus of sea hares from the family Aplysiidae and the superfamily Aplysioidea.
In the sea hares of the genus Dolabella the back end of the body has turned into a slanted disc-like shield, with a large, calcified shell buried inside. Their color is variable with specks of green and brown.
- Dolabella auricularia Lightfoot, 1786 or Wedge Sea Hare
- Distribution : Indian Ocean, Western and NW Pacific.
- Length : 50 cm
- Description : short, blunt head; body covered with tubercles and skin flaps; the inner shell has a typical earlike form; gives off purple ink when disturbed; hides under rocks during daytime; crawls around on seagrass beds at night, feeding on algae; unarmed penis.
- Dolabella gigas Rang, 1828
- Distribution : Indian Ocean.
- Description : shell with a saucer-shaped extension; armed penis
External link
- Dolabella auricularia (http://www.umiushi.info/HTML_eng/Bursatellaleachii.html)