Rare sea hare spotted in western Turkish coast

By Murat Yuksel

CANAKKALE, Turkey (AA) - Turkish divers spotted an “aplysia depilans”, a rare species of a sea hare, off western Canakkale province.

Selim Konya, a diving center manager, along with several officials from Istanbul University, recorded spotted the rare sea hare at the depth of 26 meters in the Aegean Sea off Gokceada district.

Noting that it was the first time he saw such a specie, Konya said, “I saw it from a long distance. I was surprised and other divers were also surprised.”

“This species recorded in the video squirts purple ink when they are disturbed just like a squid does, but they are harmless,” Sezginer Tuncer, a professor of marine biology at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University said.

“We have to protect them for the next generations," Tuncer said.

Sea hare generally appears in the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic and mostly can be seen in shallow water.