Branched Moonwort vs common sea hare

Botrychium matricariifolium compared with Aplysia punctata

Key Differences

• Branched Moonwort is Extinct while common sea hare is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Branched Moonwort	common sea hare
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Tracheophyta	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Ophioglossaceae	Aplysiidae
Genus	Botrychium	Aplysia
Species	Botrychium matricariifolium	Aplysia punctata

Conservation Status

Branched Moonwort

EX — Extinct

common sea hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Branched Moonwort	common sea hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Branched Moonwort

Habitat

Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

common sea hare

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Branched Moonwort

The Branched moonwort (Botrychium matricariifolium) is a species in the genus Botrychium. It is currently classified as Extinct on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in moist, shaded forest floors and tropical canopies.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden