Sea Hare – Black Spotted

Black Spotted Sea Hare Care Tips:

Minimum Tank Size: 50 Gallons

Max Size: Up to  40.6cm (16”)

Diet: Herbivore

Temperament: Peaceful

Lifespan: Up to 6 years

Scientific Name: Apylsia Dactylomela

Coral Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

The black spotted sea hare is a rare species not often seen in the hobby. Its scientific name is Aplysia dactylomela, but it’s referred to as the black spotted sea hare, or the spotted sea hare. Sea hares are a part of the Aplysiidae family. They can grow up to 16” in length, that size is never seen in the aquarium hobby, a more common size is 3-5”. They can live up to 6 years in proper conditions. Sea Hares got their name from their appetite towards strictly algae. They are herbivores and will help eat large outbreaks of algae in fish tanks. Minimum tank size recommended for sea hares is 50 gallons, they could go into smaller tanks but there must be a large amount of algae present for them to eat. Once the algae is gone from the tank it is recommended to feed them algae sheets. Sea hares are extremely peaceful and are both coral and invertebrate safe. They will be seen on the rocks, on the sand, on the glass, anywhere they can find algae. Sea hares are mainly active at night.