A Historical Summary of the Distribution and Diet of Australian Sea Hares(Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiidae)

摘要

Recentstudies have highlighted the great diversity of sea hares (Aplysiidae) in central NewSouth Wales, but their distribution elsewhere in Australian waters has not previously beenanalysed. Despite the fact that they are often very abundant and occur in readilyaccessible coastal habitats, much of the published literature on Australian sea haresconcentrates on their taxonomy. As a result, there is a paucity of information about theirbiology and ecology. This study, therefore, had the objective of compiling the availableinformation on distribution and diet of aplysiids in continental Australia and itsoffshore island territories to identify important knowledge gaps and provide focus forfuture research efforts. Aplysiid diversity is highest in the subtropics on both sides ofthe Australian continent. Whilst animals in the genus have thebroadest diets, drawing from the three major algal groups, other aplysiids can be highlyspecialised, with a diet that is restricted to only one or a few species. Although thediets of some widespread, frequently-observed taxa have been investigated, those forlesser-known, endemic taxa remain unclear and require specific investigation.