sea hare

sea hare
any gastropod of the order Aplysiacea, comprising large marine sluglike mollusks with a reduced, internal shell.
[1585-95]

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 any marine gastropod of the family Aplysiidae (subclass Opisthobranchia, phylum Mollusca) that is characterized by a shell reduced to a flat plate, prominent tentacles (resembling rabbit ears), and a smooth or warty body. Sea hares eat large seaweeds, and all are simultaneous hermaphrodites. An example is the 10-centimetre (4-inch) spotted sea hare (Aplysia dactylomela), a ring-spotted green species living in grassy shallows of the Caribbean. Research involving sea hares has greatly increased the scientific understanding of the biochemical basis of learning.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sea hare — Hare Hare, n. [AS. hara; akin to D. haas, G. hase, OHG. haso, Dan. & Sw. hare, Icel. h[=e]ri, Skr. [,c]a[,c]a. [root]226.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A rodent of the genus {Lepus}, having long hind legs, a short tail, and a divided upper lip.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sea hare — (Zo[ o]l.) Any tectibranchiate mollusk of the genus {Aplysia}. See {Aplysia}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sea hare — n. any of a family (Aplysiidae) of large, sluglike, gastropod sea mollusks, with a rudimentary internal shell and a prominent front pair of tentacles …   English World dictionary

  • sea hare — sea′ hare n. ivt any sluglike marine gastropod mollusk, genus Aplysia, having a pair of tentacles resembling rabbit ears • Etymology: 1585–95 …   From formal English to slang

  • Sea hare — Taxobox name = Sea Hares image width = 200px image caption = Aplysia californica , a typical sea hare regnum = Animalia phylum = Mollusca classis = Gastropoda subclassis = Orthogastropoda superordo = Heterobranchia ordo = Opisthobranchia subordo …   Wikipedia

  • sea hare — noun naked marine gastropod having a soft body with reduced internal shell and two pairs of ear like tentacles • Syn: ↑Aplysia punctata • Hypernyms: ↑gastropod, ↑univalve • Member Holonyms: ↑Aplysia, ↑genus Aplysia, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • sea hare — noun a large sea slug which has a minute internal shell and lateral extensions to the foot. [Aplysia and other genera.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • sea hare — noun Date: 1593 any of various large opisthobranch mollusks (especially genus Aplysia) that have an arched back and two anterior tentacles and have the shell much reduced or missing …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sea hare — noun Any member of the genus Aplysia of the family Aplysiidae, large marine gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell made of protein …   Wiktionary

  • sea hare — any of various molluscs of the order Aplysiacea having a reduced internal shell …   English contemporary dictionary

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