Home Acknowledgments Conventions Glossary Maps References Links Articles Thumbnails Species list Family Next species _______________   Additional Photos   underside   side   less white   ocelli detail   young, 5 mm   shell   egg mass _______________   GALLERY	Bursatella cf. leachii de Blainville, 1817   Maximum size:  22 mm. Identification:  This is a small, translucent-cream sea hare frosted with white and brown flecks. It's decorated with prominent blue and gold ocelli at all sizes. Although superficially similar to Stylocheilus striatus, it can be distinguished from that species by its more prominent blue and gold ocelli, more elaborate papillae and brown flecks that are random rather than arranged in lines. Natural history:  Bursatella cf. leachii is a moderately common species found in moderately protected to highly exposed rocky habitats from < 1 to 11 m (< 3 to 36 ft). It may also be found in Halimeda kanaloana beds. It feeds on cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). As in S. striatus, the blue and gold ocelli may represent aposematic coloration "advertising" the presence of toxins concentrated from its food. It lays a tangled, golden-brown egg string that hatches in six to seven days in the laboratory. Distribution:  Big Island, Maui and Kauai: Bursatella leachii is considered circumtropical. If the Hawaiian population turns out to be different, it may also have a broader distribution in the Indo-Pacific. Taxonomic notes:  Animals in the Hawaiian population are much smaller and less intricately papillate than populations of Bursatella leachii found elsewhere in the Pacific (Note 1). It was first recorded in Hawaii from Maliko Bay, Maui by PF. Photo:  CP: 16 mm:  Ulua Beach, Maui; April 2, 2005. Observations and comments: Note 1:  The largest of 70 animals from algae washes was only 22 mm in length and the few animals seen in the field weren't noticeably larger. Also, an 11 mm animal laid eggs while held. This supports the suggestion that the Hawaiian population may be different from the much larger Indo-Pacific animals that can reach 150-200 mm in length.
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