| Elysia maoria | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Family: | Plakobranchidae |
| Genus: | Elysia |
| Species: | E. maoria |
| Binomial name | |
| Elysia maoria Powell, 1937 | |
Elysia maoria is a species of marine gastropod mollusk in the family Plankobranchidae. [1] It is found off of New Zealand.
As a type of sea slug, Elysia maoria does not have a shell. Sacoglossans are also known as “sap sucking slugs” with a single row of teeth on the radula used for sucking algae.[ citation needed ] They are small, green oval-like creatures using parapodia for movement. Parapodia are the muscular appendages used similarly to an undulating fin to swim, making wavy movements.[ citation needed ] It is believed that Elysia maoria live a long planktonic stage after hatching, but not much is known about these creatures. This species reaches sexual maturity once it has surpassed 20mm in length. They typically develop to be 25-26mm long once fully grown.
Elysia maoria is an herbivore that utilizes its radula with a single row of teeth to latch onto algae and suck fluids out of it. They are then digested. Some Elysia species such as E. chlorotica are known to keep the chloroplasts to photosynthesize. It is not known if E. maoria engages in this process known as kleptoplasty as well. [2]
E. maoria can be found in the New Zealand exclusive economic zone. It primarily lives in benthic, temperate zones along the shorelines of islands. It can be found making habitats and laying eggs on top of the pads of Codium, a common green alga.[ citation needed ]
Elysia maoria have gonad follicles inside of their parapodia. Males hypodermically impregnate females, meaning that their penis pierces the body wall of the females, releasing sperm into their body cavity, beneath their skin that then finds its way to the eggs. The fertilized ova then “pass to the exterior through the glandular oviduct where they receive an albumen coat and a membrane and are bound into a ribbon by two mucous coats.” [3]
The larvae have been photographed living on Codium species in Sacoglossans flattened spirals, which are long egg ribbons that protect the eggs until the larvae are ready to hatch. The larva hatch approximately two weeks later. [4]
Males have sperm-producing follicles with branched prostate glands above them and reticulate albumen glands below them. Their penis lacks a hollow spine, unlike other Elysia species, leading scientists to question how it is able to penetrate the female. The males begin sexual behavior before the females do, indicating that they reach the proper length for sexual maturity first. Females contain ova-producing follicles and two genital apertures, but no vagina. [3]
Sacoglossa, commonly known as the sacoglossans or the "solar-powered sea slugs", are a superorder of small sea slugs and sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks that belong to the clade Heterobranchia. Sacoglossans live by ingesting the cellular contents of algae, hence they are sometimes called "sap-sucking sea slugs".
Elysia chlorotica is a small-to-medium-sized species of green sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc. This sea slug superficially resembles a nudibranch, yet it does not belong to that clade. Instead it is a member of the clade Sacoglossa, the sap-sucking sea slugs. Some members of this group use chloroplasts from the algae they eat for photosynthesis, a phenomenon known as kleptoplasty. Elysia chlorotica is one species of such "solar-powered sea slugs". It lives in a subcellular endosymbiotic relationship with chloroplasts of the marine heterokont alga Vaucheria litorea.
Elysia viridis, the sap-sucking slug, is a small-to-medium-sized species of green sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae.
Elysia crispata, common name the lettuce sea slug or lettuce slug, is a large and colorful species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk.
Elysia timida is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk. Found in the Mediterranean and nearby parts of the Atlantic, it is herbivorous, feeding on various algae in water.
Elysia pusilla is a species of small sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Plakobranchidae. It is a sacoglossan.
The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are also important accessories to the reproductive system. Unlike most organ systems, the sexes of differentiated species often have significant differences. These differences allow for a combination of genetic material between two individuals, which allows for the possibility of greater genetic fitness of the offspring.
The reproductive system of gastropods varies greatly from one group to another within this very large and diverse taxonomic class of animals. Their reproductive strategies also vary greatly, see Mating of gastropods.
Elysia catulus is a small species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc 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. The specific name "catulus" comes from the Greek and means "little cat", referring to the superficial resemblance that the head of this slug bears to the head of a cat.
Elysia margaritae is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc.
Elysia australis is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc 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.
Elysia diomedea is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae.
Elysia trisinuata is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae. This sea slug resembles a nudibranch but is not closely related to that order of gastropods, instead belonging to another clade, Sacoglossa, the "sap-sucking" sea slugs.
Elysia bangtawaensis is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae. Although this sea slug resembles a nudibranch, it is not a nudibranch but is part of a rather different clade, the sacoglossans, also known as the "sap-sucking" sea slugs.
Costasiella ocellifera is a small species of sea slug, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costasiellidae. Costasiella ocellifera, and other members of the Costasiellidae family are often mistakenly classified as nudibranchs because they superficially resemble other species of that group, but they are actually a part of the Sacoglossa superorder of sea slugs, also known as the “sap-sucking sea slugs,” "crawling leaves" or the "solar-powered sea slugs." C. ocellifera was discovered by Simroth in 1895, and was initially classified as Doto ocellifera. The Brazilian species, Costasiella liliana, is a synonym of C. ocellifera.Costasiella ocellifera shows long-term retention of functional kleptoplasty.
Phestilla minor is a species of sea slug in the Trichechidae family. It is a type of aeolid nudibranch under the Aeolidina suborder. Phestilla minor is a benthic sea slug that is a very small, slow-moving organism found in marine habitats all over the world.
Elysia marginata is a marine gastropod in the family Plakobranchidae. It is known for its ability to regenerate its whole body and heart after autotomizing it from its head.
Philinopsis depicta is a species of sea slug, an opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. It is native to the Mediterranean Sea where it lives on the sandy seabed in shallow water. It is a predator.
Thuridilla vataae is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae. It is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific. It was first described by the French zoologist Jean Risbec in 1928; its specific name refers to the Bay of Anse Vata, just south of Nouméa, New Caledonia, where the type specimen was collected.
Thuridilla moebii is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae. It is found in shallow water in the tropical west and central Indo-Pacific region.