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The sea hare Aplysia californica releases a cloud of ink as a defensive mechanism when it is threatened. This species lives in California and the northern part of the Pacific coast of Mexico.

The California sea hare can sometimes grow to be as large as 75 cm in length, measured when actively crawling. It is a herbivore, and feeds mostly on red algae. This species has become a valuable laboratory animal for the study of neurobiology.