''Elysia australis'' is a
species of
sea slug, a
marine
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gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusc
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
in the
family Plakobranchidae. This sea slug resembles a
nudibranch, but it is not closely related to that order of gastropods, instead it is a
sacoglossan. It occurs in Australia.
Description
''Elysia australis'' has a slim, slug-like appearance and can grow to a length of but is a more normal size. In colour it is varying shades of green with splotches of white, sometimes with black speckles. The
parapodia are edged with a narrow black line and the tail tip is black. The
rhinophores are also dark and there is a distinctive black T-shaped mark in front of and between them. ''Elysia australis'' is not easy to observe because its colour derives from the
chloroplast
A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ...
s of the algae it has eaten so its hue matches its background.
[''Elysia australis'' (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)]
The Sea Slug Forum. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
Distribution
''Elysia australis'' is found around the coasts of Australia, grazing on small algae on intertidal rock platforms and in shallow pools.
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References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5368544
Plakobranchidae
Gastropods described in 1832
Gastropods of Australia