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Elysia viridis
Species of gastropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Elysia viridis is a sacoglossan sea slug of the family Plakobranchidae.[1][2] They are occasionally nicknamed the sap sucking slugs for their ability to suck the cytoplasm out of the algae they prey upon,.[1][2] Adult length is considered to be between 15–20 mm long,[3][2] and they vary in color from greens to brownish hues.[2] Elysia viridis is one of few organisms capable of kleptoplasty; when consuming the cytoplasm of its algal prey E. viridis can retain the chloroplasts in working condition, and being able to benefit from their continued photosynthesis.[4][5][6]
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Description
Adult length of E. viridis ranges between 15-20mm,[2][3] with an healthy adult weight of 15–20 mg.[1][4] The surface of the slug is covered in tiny spots of red, yellow, blue or green that are reported to have a glistening appearance.[2] Parapodia extend from the sides of the slug, and are the main location of captured chloroplasts. Rhinophores extend upward from its head.[2][4] Elysia viridis feed using radular teeth, which in this species, E. gordanae, can vary in design based upon the diet of the individual.[2]
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Distribution
Elysia viridis is located in the Northeastern Atlantic, primarily around the British Islands, but has been found further north in Sweden and Norway,[1][6] as well as in the Mediterranean Sea.[1][2][7] A report of E. viridis being found in south Africa was published in 1987,[8] but the identification that specimen was later changed to Elysia sp. by the same author.[9][7] Elysia viridis occurs in the intertidal zone typically submerged on its algal prey between 1 and 5 meters below the surface.[1]
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Ecology
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Elysia viridis feed on algae, primarily of the genus Codium, with a noted favorability towards C. fragile, C. sericea, and C. rupestris[1][5]. E. viridis has been found to be less selective of algal hosts than other members of Elysia.[1][10] E. viridis deposit coiled egg masses onto the thallus of its prey, or on nearby underwater surfaces, that hatch into a larval stage called a veliger.[3][10][11] Veliger are planktotrophic and consume free floating unicellular algae.[3][11] Once the propodeum develops on the larvae they search for a macroalgal host, contact with which appears to trigger a metamorphosis into the adult form, but the trigger for this metamorphosis is unconfirmed.[3][11]
Kleptoplasty
Elysia viridis is most notable for its capability of performing kleptoplasty, and maintaining a subcellular endosymbiotic relationship with chloroplasts derived from the algae in the genus Codium, most often C. fragile.[4][10][12] When consuming the cytoplasm of the algae, E. viridis is able to retain the chloroplasts in a functional state; chloroplasts are phagocytized, while digesting the other cytoplasmic contents are digested.[4][5][10] The captured chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) retain their ability to photosynthesize, the photosynthates of which can benefit the slug nutritionally.[4][10][13] Kleptoplasts can also be broken down and used as a pre-stored energy source in situations where the slug is deprived of food sources and light.[4]
See also
References
External links
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