Common Grey Disco vs common sea hare

Mollisia cinerea compared with Aplysia punctata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Grey Disco	common sea hare
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Leotiomycetes (Leotiomycetes)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Helotiales (Helotiales)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Mollisiaceae	Aplysiidae
Genus	Mollisia	Aplysia
Species	Mollisia cinerea	Aplysia punctata

Conservation Status

Common Grey Disco

LC — Least Concern

common sea hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Grey Disco	common sea hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Grey Disco

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

common sea hare

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Common Grey Disco

<em>Mollisia cinerea</em>, commonly known as the common grey disco, is a saprotrophic fungus belonging to the genus Mollisia within the family Mollisiaceae. This species is native to Europe, with a documented range spanning Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Common grey disco is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The species typically produces small, disc-shaped ascocarps with a grey to brownish-grey upper surface, typically emerging on decaying wood and plant debris in moist woodland habitats. As a decomposer, it plays an important ecological role in nutrient cycling within temperate forest ecosystems. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden