On the Influence of Preservation on the External Appearance of Specimens of Aplysia depilans Linné

In May 1938 I had the opportunity to observe seven living Aplysia depilans in the Zoological Station Naples. Notes on the size and colour were made and different methods of preservation were tried. As one often wonders how much of the original colour pattern has been preserved in museum specimens of Aplysia, it seems important to give the result of the comparison of the living specimens as studied in 1938 and the same specimens after 18 years of preservation, in 1956. The best way of preservation appears to be killing in diluted alcohol as specimen nr. V shows.