Eggs from the Sea Hare <I>Aplysia punctata</I>
In some years we have found, just lying on the exposed shore, large egg masses, each with many hundreds of eggs, laid by sea hares. Aplysia punctata are molluscs, large sea slugs, typically around 10 cm in length. These may be recently fertilised, with each embryo just a few cells, as on the left below.
Recently fertilised Sea Hare eggs
These embryos develop into veliger larvae.
Fully developed eggs and veliger larvae from the Sea Hare Aplysia punctata
The unhatched veliger and hatched veliger develop within a few days of fertilisation.
As the magnification is progressively increased the cilia responsible for locomotion of the veliger become clearer.