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.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Elysia Risso, 1818. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137928 on 2010-12-14

''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.

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'':

*'' Elysia abei''
*'' Elysia amakusana''
*''Elysia amuravela''
*''Elysia annedupontae''
*''Elysia aowthai''
*''Elysia arena''
*''Elysia asbecki''
*'' Elysia atroviridis''
*''Elysia australis''
*''Elysia babai''
*''Elysia bangtawaensis''
*''Elysia bella''
*''Elysia bengalensis''
*'' Elysia bennettae''
*''Elysia brycei''
*'' Elysia buonoi''
*'' Elysia canguzua''
*''Elysia catulus''
*'' Elysia chavelavargas''
*'' Elysia chilkensis''
*''Elysia chlorotica''
*''Elysia christinae''
*'' Elysia coodgeensis''
*''Elysia cornigera''
*''Elysia crispata''
*'' Elysia deborahae''
*''Elysia degeneri''
*'' Elysia delcarmen''
*'' Elysia diomedea''
*''Elysia ellenae''
*'' Elysia entredosaguas''
*'' Elysia evelinae''
*'' Elysia expansa''
*'' Elysia faustula''
*'' Elysia filicauda''
*'' Elysia flava''
*'' Elysia flavipunctata''
*''Elysia flavomacula''
*''Elysia frankenstein''
*'' Elysia furvacauda''
*'' Elysia grandifolia''
*'' Elysia grandis''
*'' Elysia hamatanii''
*''Elysia hedgpethi''
*'' Elysia hendersoni''
*''Elysia hetta''
*'' Elysia hirasei''
*'' Elysia japonica''
*'' Elysia jaramilloi''
*'' Elysia jibacoaensis''
*'' Elysia kushimotoensis''
*'' Elysia leucolegnote''
*'' Elysia lobata''
*''Elysia macnaei''
*'' Elysia manriquei''
*'' Elysia maoria''
*''Elysia marcusi''
*'' Elysia margaritae''
*'' Elysia marginata''
*'' Elysia mercieri''
*'' Elysia minima''
*'' Elysia nealae''
*''Elysia nigrocapitata''
*'' Elysia nigropunctata''
*'' Elysia nisbeti''
*'' Elysia obtusa''
*'' Elysia oerstedii''
*'' Elysia orientalis''
*''Elysia ornata''
*'' Elysia papillosa''
*'' Elysia patagonica''
*'' Elysia patina''
*''Elysia pawliki''
*'' Elysia pilosa''
*'' Elysia pratensis''
*'' Elysia punctata''
*''Elysia pusilla''
*''Elysia rubeni''
*'' Elysia rufescens''
*''Elysia sanfermin''
*''Elysia serca''
*'' Elysia siamensis''
*'' Elysia singaporensis''
*'' Elysia slimora''
*'' Elysia stylifera''
*''Elysia subornata''
*'' Elysia sugashimae''
*'' Elysia thompsoni''
*'' Elysia thysanopoda''
*'' Elysia timida''
*'' Elysia tokarensis''
*''Elysia tomentosa''
*'' Elysia translucens''
*'' Elysia trilobata''
*'' Elysia trisinuata''
*''Elysia velutinus''
*'' Elysia verrucosa''
*''Elysia viridis''
*''Elysia vreelandae''
*'' Elysia yaeyamana''
*'' Elysia zemi''
*'' Elysia zuleicae''

;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
* Jensen K.R. (2007) ''Biogeography of the Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia)''. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 55:255–281
* Händeler K. & Wägele H. (2007) ''Preliminary study on molecular phylogeny of Sacoglossa and a compilation of their food organisms''. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 55: 231-254.
* http://www.catalogueoflife.org accessed 11 June 2009
*

External links

Video of ''Elysia diomedea'' in Costa Rica

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elysia (gastropod)
Plakobranchidae
Gastropod genera
Taxa named by Antoine Risso