Aplysia

Aplysia
Aplysia californica releasing a toxic cloud in self-defense
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Clade: Euopisthobranchia
Clade: Anaspidea
Superfamily: Aplysioidea
Family: Aplysiidae
Genus: Aplysia
Linnaeus, 1767
Type species
Aplysia depilans
Gmelin, 1791
Species

See text

Synonyms
  • Aplysia (Aplysia) Linnaeus, 1767· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysia (Metaplysia) Pilsbry, 1951
  • Aplysia (Neaplysia) J. G. Cooper, 1863· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysia (Phycophila) A. Adams, 1861· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysia (Pruvotaplysia) Engel, 1936· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysia (Subaplysia) M. Medina, T. Collins & Walsh, 2005 (unavailable name: not diagnosed and no type species designated)
  • Aplysia (Tethys)
  • Aplysia (Tullia) Pruvot-Fol, 1933· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysia (Varria) Eales, 1960· accepted, alternate representation
  • Aplysiopsis Bergh, 1898 (junior homonym of Aplysiopsis Deshayes, 1853 [Gastropoda, Stiligeridae])
  • Laplysia Linnaeus, 1767 (incorrect spelling)
  • Phycophila A. Adams, 1861
  • Phyllobranchopsis Eliot, 1905
  • Pruvotaplysia Engel, 1936
  • Tethys (Aplysia)
  • Tullia Pruvot-Fol, 1933
  • Varria Eales, 1960
Aplysia egg mass

Aplysia (/əˈplɪʒ(i)ə/) is a genus of medium-sized to extremely large sea slugs, specifically sea hares, which are a kind of marine gastropod mollusk.

These benthic herbivorous creatures can become rather large compared with most other mollusks. They graze in tidal and subtidal zones of tropical waters, mostly in the Indo-Pacific Ocean (23 species); but they can also be found in the Atlantic Ocean (12 species), with a few species occurring in the Mediterranean.

Aplysia species, when threatened, frequently release clouds of ink, it is believed in order to blind the attacker (though they are in fact considered edible by relatively few species).

Following the lead of Eric R. Kandel,[1] the genus has been studied as a model organism by neurobiologists, because its gill and siphon withdrawal reflex, as studied in Aplysia californica, is mediated by electrical synapses, which allow several neurons to fire synchronously. This quick neural response is necessary for a speedy reaction to danger by the animal. Aplysia has only about 20,000 neurons, making it a favorite subject for investigation by neuroscientists.[2] Also, the 'tongue' on the underside is controlled by only two neurons, which allowed complete mapping of the innervation network to be carried out.

  1. ^ Foundation, Lasker (10 March 2020). "Eric Kandel: Learning about the human brain from sea slugs". The Lasker Foundation. Retrieved 2020-10-31.
  2. ^ Redish, Edward F. (2003). "Chapter 2: Cognitive Principles and Guidelines for Instruction". Teaching Physics With The Physics Suite. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-471-39378-8.