Birch Jelly vs common sea hare

Exidia repanda compared with Aplysia punctata

Key Differences

Birch Jelly is Vulnerable while common sea hare is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Birch Jelly	common sea hare
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Auriculariales (Auriculariales)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Auriculariaceae	Aplysiidae
Genus	Exidia	Aplysia
Species	Exidia repanda	Aplysia punctata

Conservation Status

Birch Jelly

VU — Vulnerable

common sea hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Birch Jelly	common sea hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Birch Jelly

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

common sea hare

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Birch Jelly

The Birch Jelly (Exidia repanda) is a species in the genus Exidia. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

common sea hare

<em>Aplysia punctata</em>, the common sea hare, is a large opisthobranch sea slug in the family Aplysiidae, order Aplysiida, found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, with confirmed records from Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. This species typically inhabits shallow subtidal and intertidal zones with abundant macroalgae, feeding primarily on red and green algae — a diet that influences the color of the defensive purple ink it secretes when threatened. <em>Aplysia punctata</em> is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, capable of acting as both male and female during mating, and often forms mating chains involving multiple individuals. It can reach considerable size among European opisthobranch species, though body dimensions vary considerably with age and feeding conditions. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting stable populations across its coastal range. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, including precise average data on lifespan, body length, weight, and detailed seasonal dietary patterns, though its general herbivorous feeding on macroalgae is well established.