Elysia maoria

Taxobox
name = "Elysia maoria"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Opisthobranchia
subordo = Sacoglossa
familia = Elysiidae
genus = "Elysia"
species = "E. maoria"
binomial = "Elysia maoria"
binomial_authority = Powell, 1937

"Elysia maoria" is a small to medium-sized species of sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Elysiidae.

This sea slug resembles a nudibranch, but it is not closely related to that order of gastropods, instead it is a sacoglossan.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand and southeastern Australia.

Habitat

It is found in the littoral zone, shallow waters, along the east coast of Auckland, and around south eastern Australia, on the pads of the green alga "Codium adhaerens".

Description

This small marine slug is heart-shaped when spread out, but its normal shape in life is approximately cylindrical, due to wing-like lateral expansions of the body curving inward and almost touching above. The basic green of this species is of identical colour to the green "Codium" seaweed, due to the fact that ramifying outgrowths from the gut carry the ingested algal tissue to almost all parts of the animal. Superimposed on the surface are numerous minute dots in brick-red and groups of white specks.

Its length is up to about 26 mm.

Shape and coloration of this animal upon the "Codium" seaweed combine to achieve perfect camouflage, marred only by the nearby deposited egg-spiral which is conspicuously white.

Life habits

Reproduction is by hypodermic insemination, with the sperm being deposited by piercing the body wall of the partner. It is not known how this is achieved as it does not have a penial stylet, unlike other sacoglossans which mate in a similar fashion.

References

* Powell A. W. B., "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1

External links

* [http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=elysmaor Sea Slug Forum]