Elysia ornata

Elysia ornata, commonly known as ornate elysia or ornate leaf slug, is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk. This sea slug superficially resembles a nudibranch, yet it does not belong to that suborder of gastropods. Instead it is a member of the closely related clade Sacoglossa, the "sap-sucking" sea slugs.

Elysia ornata
Elysia ornata
Elysia ornata about 2 cm in length
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. ornata
Binomial name
Elysia ornata
(Swainson, 1840) [1]

Description

Elysia ornata can grow to about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) in length.[2] It is a translucent greenish-yellow colour speckled with white and black. It has broad parapodia each edged with an orange band and a black margin. The rhinophores are similarly coloured with a band of orange and dark tips.[3]

Distribution

Elysia ornata is a tropical species found in both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.[3]

References
  1. Gofas, Serge (2010). "Elysia ornata (Swainson, 1840)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
  2. http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/elysorna
  3. Elysia ornata SeaSlugForum. Retrieved 2012-01-24.


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