Dolabella (genus)

Taxobox
name = "Dolabella"

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Dolabella auricularia"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Opisthobranchia
subordo = Anaspidea
superfamilia = Aplysioidea
familia = Aplysiidae
genus = "Dolabella"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"Dolabella auricularia"
*"Dolabella gigas"

"Dolabella" (Lamarck, 1801) is a genus of sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the superfamily Aplysioidea and the order Anaspidea.

For more information please also see: Sea hare, Aplysiidae, Aplysioidea.

Description

In the sea hares of the genus "Dolabella" the back end of the body has turned into a slanted disc-like shield, with a large, calcified shell buried inside. The color is variable, with specks of green and brown.

There are fossil records of † "Dolabella aldrichi" from the Early Miocene, found in the Chipola Formation in Florida [ [http://pbdb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl Paleobiology Database] ]

pecies within the genus "Dolabella"

*"Dolabella auricularia" Lightfoot, 1786 or Wedge Sea Hare
**Distribution : Indian Ocean, Western and NW Pacific.
**Length : 50 cm
**Description : short, blunt head; body covered with tubercles and skin flaps; the inner shell has a typical earlike form; gives off purple ink when disturbed; hides under rocks during daytime; crawls around on seagrass beds at night, feeding on algae; unarmed penis.

*"Dolabella gigas" Rang, 1828
**Distribution : Indian Ocean.
**Description : The internal shell has a saucer-shaped extension; armed penis

Notes

External links

* [http://www.umiushi.info/HTML_eng/Bursatellaleachii.html "Dolabella auricularia"]