''Sacoproteus'' is a genus of

sea slugs Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails (marine gastropod mollusks) that over evolutionary tim ...

in the

Limapontiidae Limapontiidae is a taxonomic family of small to minute sacoglossan sea slugs. These are marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2011). Limapontiidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marines ...

family, described in 2018. It contains five species, of which four were newly described when the genus was erected, and one (''

Sacoproteus smaragdinus ''Sacoproteus'' is a genus of sea slugs in the Limapontiidae family, described in 2018. It contains five species, of which four were newly described when the genus was erected, and one ('' Sacoproteus smaragdinus'') was reassigned from its previo ...

'') was reassigned from its previous classification of ''

Stiliger ''Stiliger'' is a genus of small and minute sacoglossan or sap-sucking sea slugs. They are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Limapontiidae.Stiliger Ehrenberg, 1831. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca dat ...

smaragdinus'' as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

of the new genus. Most of the species are

mimetic Mimesis (; grc, μίμησις, ''mīmēsis'') is a term used in literary criticism and philosophy that carries a wide range of meanings, including '' imitatio'', imitation, nonsensuous similarity, receptivity, representation, mimicry, the ...

of toxic "sea-grape" algae in the genus ''

Caulerpa ''Caulerpa'' is a genus of seaweeds in the family Caulerpaceae (among the green algae). They are unusual because they consist of only one cell with many nuclei, making them among the biggest single cells in the world. A species in the Mediterran ...

''.

Species

The species of the genus were found to closely mimic the appearance of different types of toxic algae that they feed on. *''

'' (previously classified as ''Stiliger smaragdinus''): mimics ''

Caulerpa racemosa ''Caulerpa racemosa'' is a species of edible green alga, a seaweed in the family Caulerpaceae. It is commonly known as sea grapes (along with the related ''Caulerpa lentillifera'') and is found in many areas of shallow sea around the world. There ...

'' and ''

Caulerpa lentilifera ''Caulerpa'' is a genus of seaweeds in the family Caulerpaceae (among the green algae). They are unusual because they consist of only one cell with many nuclei, making them among the biggest single cells in the world. A species in the Mediterran ...

'' *''

Sacoproteus nishae ''Sacoproteus'' is a genus of sea slugs in the Limapontiidae family, described in 2018. It contains five species, of which four were newly described when the genus was erected, and one ('' Sacoproteus smaragdinus'') was reassigned from its previo ...

'': mimics ''

Caulerpa chemnitzia ''Caulerpa chemnitzia'' is a species of seaweed in the ''Caulerpaceae'' family. It is found along the coast in a large area extending from north of Perth to the Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Aus ...

'' *'' Sacoproteus yhiae'': mimics '' Caulerpa cactoides'' and '' Caulerpa gemminata'' *'' Sacoproteus browni'': probably as ''S. yhiae'' *'' Sacoproteus thomasleei'': not mimetic

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q60776115 Limapontiidae Mimicry