• Source: Elysia (gastropod)

Elysia is a genus of sea slugs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Plakobranchidae. These animals are colorful sea slugs, and they can superficially resemble nudibranchs, but are not very closely related to them. Instead they are sacoglossans, commonly known as sap-sucking slugs.
Elysia sea slugs graze on algae and some species such as E. viridis and E. chlorotica hijack the chloroplasts for themselves. The chloroplasts end up lining the slug's digestive tract, enabling the slugs to survive solely by photosynthesis for several months at a time.This association is crucial for the development and maturing of the slug. Exactly how the slugs use the chloroplasts is unclear, as many of the proteins used by chloroplasts are encoded in the genome of the host cell. These proteins, numbering in the hundreds, are manufactured in the cell's nucleus, and then moved into the chloroplast, enabling it to survive.
There has been a study regarding a member of the genus Elysia (E. chloritica), which states that there is horizontal gene transfer when the slugs ingest the algae. The study postulates that upon the ingestion of the algae, to keep the chloroplasts alive, E. chloritica steals genes via horizontal gene transfer to make proteins that maintain the chloroplasts. However, many other studies could not replicate the findings in the study and the claims remain disputed.
Young specimens of E. atroviridis and E. marginata became known for their ability to regenerate the whole body from a severed head. This autotomy expels internal parasites.
This genus was previously sometimes considered to be in the family Stiligeridae, and was also previously placed in the family Elysiidae.




Species


The following species are recognised in the genus Elysia:

Species brought into synonymy

Elysia arena Carlson & Hoff, 1978: synonym of Pattyclaya arena (Carlson & Hoff, 1978)
Elysia bedeckta MacFarland, 1966: synonym of Elysia hedgpethi Er. Marcus, 1961
Elysia cauze scops Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967: synonym of Elysia scops Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1967
Elysia gracilis Risbec, 1928: synonym of Thuridilla gracilis (Risbec, 1928)
Elysia halimedae Macnae, 1954: synonym of Elysia pusilla (Bergh, 1871)
Elysia picta A. E. Verrill, 1901: synonym of Thuridilla picta (A. E. Verrill, 1901)
Elysia pruvotfolae Er. Marcus, 1957: synonym of Elysia crispata Mørch, 1863
Elysia schrammi Mörch, 1863: synonym of Elysia crispata Mørch, 1863
Elysia splendida Grube, 1861: synonym of Thuridilla hopei (Vérany, 1853)
Elysia thysanopoda Bergh, 1905: synonym of Thuridilla thysanopoda (Bergh, 1905)
Elysia vataae Risbec, 1928: synonym of Thuridilla vataae (Risbec, 1928)
Elysia verrilli Pruvot-Fol, 1946: synonym of Elysia crispata Mørch, 1863
Taxa inquirenda:
Elysia fezi Vilella, 1968
Elysia pruvotae Risbec, 1953




References






Further reading


Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
Jensen K.R. (2007) Biogeography of the Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia). Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 55:255–281
Händeler, Katharina; Wagele, Heike (2004). "Preliminary study on molecular phylogeny of Saccoglossa and a compilation of their food organisms". Bonner Zoologische Beiträge. 55: 231–254.
http://www.catalogueoflife.org accessed 11 June 2009
SEM images of the radula can be found at Thompson, T.E.; Bebbington, A. (1973). "Scanning electron microscope studies of gastropod radulae". Malacologia. 14: 147–165.




External links



Video of Elysia diomedea in Costa Rica

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Elysia (gastropod)
• Elysia
• Elysia chlorotica
• Elysia crispata
• Elysia viridis
• Elysia ornata
• Gastropoda
• Elysia timida
• Elysia obtusa
• Elysia tomentosa