Elysia gordanae

Elysia gordanae is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc.

Elysia gordanae
A live individual of Elysia gordanae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Panpulmonata
clade Sacoglossa
clade Plakobranchacea
Superfamily:
Plakobranchoidea
Family:
Plakobranchidae
Genus:
Elysia
Species:
E. gordanae
Binomial name
Elysia gordanae
Thompson & Jaklin, 1988 [1]

This sea slug resembles a nudibranch, but it is not closely related to that order of gastropods. It is instead a sacoglossan. It was first described by Thompson and Jaklin in 1988 from off the coast of Spain. It is also known from the Adriatic Sea and other parts of the Mediterranean Sea.[2][3]

Description

Elysia gordanae grows to about 17 millimetres (0.67 in) long. The colour is dappled yellowish-green and fawn with fine red speckles, especially on the pinkish parts of the head, the parapodia and rhinophores. The parapodia are edged with dark green and small white thickened areas. The egg mass is distinctive, the white eggs having orange yolks lying beside their capsules.[2]

References
  1. Gofas, Serge (2010). "Elysia gordanae Thompson & Jaklin, 1988". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  2. Elysia gordanae Thompson & Jaklin, 1988 The Sea Slug Forum. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  3. Thompson, T.E. & A. Jaklin (1988). "Eastern Mediterranean Opisthobranchia: Elysiidae". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 54: 59–69. doi:10.1093/mollus/54.1.59.
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