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Dolabella auricularia

Tuatai

Hatchet Seahare

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Hatchet Seahare, Shoulder-blade Sea-cat

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tuatai (RR), Tuātai (MG), Ngau (AK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - French Polynesia, Hawai‘i

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, reef-flat

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Poisonous to eat some part

KEY FEATURES: Typically to 20cm (max. 40cm). Mottled grey and green. The hind end forms a large flattened disc with a central hole through which the animal can release a purple fluid when disturbed. From the hind disc the animals tapers towards the head which has four small appendages. Nocturnally active.

Enlarged Image of 'Dolabella auricularia'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
	P			-

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Dolabella auricularia (Lightfoot, 1786)
SYNONYMS: Dolabella hasseltii Férussac; Dolabella scapula Martyn, 1798; Dolabella callosa Lamarck, 1801; Dolabella variegata Pease, 1860; Dolabella agassizi MacFarland, 1918

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; MOLLUSCA; GASTROPODA; OPISTHOBRANCHIA; Anaspidea; APLYSIIDAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Hidden under boulders and in holes during the day, emerges to feed at night on seaweeds.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: fieldphoto (Mona Matepi), Muri lagoon, 50cm depth, in rubble, 11/02, S.Miller, ID GM & SLM.

References:
None recorded.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM04b, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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