Eastern Emerald Elysia [Elysia chlorotica]
Description
This species is a medium-sized to large 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 of gastropods. 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, a phenomenon known as kleptoplasty. Elysia chlorotica is one of the 'solar-powered sea slugs', utilizing solar energy via chloroplasts from its algal food. It lives in the intertidal zone of the east coast of the United States and Canada.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Mollusks
Mollusca
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Gastropods
Gastropoda
|
| Order |
Cephalaspidea
Cephalaspidea
|
| Family |
Sap-sucking Slugs
Plakobranchidae
|
| Genus |
Elysia
Elysia
|