unidentified animal

[bloodbottler]

I wonder if anyone can help

I took this picture of one of several creatures swimming near the surface of the river in Tavira, Algarve Portugal in April, a few years ago. They were swimming slowly near the surface with the action of slightly damaged parasols, earning the working name of "Devils Sea Brolly" which kept the kids amused but wasn't particularly informative.

The owner of a waterfront restaurant (no settle down, there weren't any in the soup) claimed to have put one in a tank with some small mullet and bass, which it polished off in a couple of days.

Does anyone know what it is?

thanks in anticipation

Mark

[Dogghound]

Its one of the Aplysiomorpha. Looks a lot like Aplysia, fits Aplysia fasciata pretty well.

[Deb London]

I was about to suggest Sea Hare (the common name I think).

[Dogghound]

Yes weird things arnt they, think we have three species in this genus in the UK.

[bloodbottler]

Thanks very much for the quick ID, they were extaordinary things to watch.

A quick google search suggest these are herbivores, so had the restauranteur had too much vino verde and mis-counted his mullet?

Mark

[Dogghound]

Sometimes molluscs will predate other animals especially if they are dead, easy to prey on (i.e. in an enclosed tank) or at night, so might be some truth to it, or could have been talk rubbish.