common sea hare vs Stinking Earthfan

Aplysia punctata compared with Thelephora palmata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common sea hare	Stinking Earthfan
Kingdom	Animalia (動物)	Fungi (菌界)
Phylum	Mollusca (軟体動物)	Basidiomycota (担子菌門)
Class	Gastropoda (腹足綱)	Agaricomycetes (真正担子菌綱)
Order	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)	Thelephorales (イボタケ目)
Family	Aplysiidae	Thelephoraceae
Genus	Aplysia	Thelephora
Species	Aplysia punctata	Thelephora palmata

Conservation Status

common sea hare

LC — Least Concern

Stinking Earthfan

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common sea hare	Stinking Earthfan
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common sea hare

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Stinking Earthfan

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.