Common Goldspeck vs common sea hare

Candelariella vitellina compared with Aplysia punctata

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Goldspeck	common sea hare
Kingdom	Fungi (грибы)	Animalia (животные)
Phylum	Ascomycota (аскомицеты)	Mollusca (моллюски)
Class	Candelariomycetes (Candelariomycetes)	Gastropoda (брюхоногие)
Order	Candelariales (Candelariales)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Candelariaceae	Aplysiidae
Genus	Candelariella	Aplysia
Species	Candelariella vitellina	Aplysia punctata

Conservation Status

Common Goldspeck

LC — Least Concern

common sea hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Goldspeck	common sea hare
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Goldspeck

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America and South America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

common sea hare

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Common Goldspeck

<em>Candelariella vitellina</em>, commonly known as common goldspeck, is a crustose lichen belonging to the genus Candelariella within the family Candelariaceae. This species inhabits ecosystems across Europe and North America and South America, reflecting a broad geographic tolerance suited to its saxicolous lifestyle. Its known range includes populations in four European countries, the United States in North America, and Colombia in South America. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that current population trends do not suggest elevated extinction risk. Common goldspeck typically colonizes exposed rock surfaces, bark, and other firm substrates in open environments where light availability supports its photosynthetic activity. 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