Elysia pusilla
Encyclopedia
Elysia pusilla is a species
of small sea slug
, a marine
gastropod mollusk in the family Placobranchidae. It is a sacoglossa
n.
Elysia pusilla feeds on the green alga Halimeda
and incorporates functioning chloroplast
s into its body, thus it is known as a solar-powered sea slug.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of small sea slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
, a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod mollusk in the family Placobranchidae. It is a sacoglossa
Sacoglossa
Sacoglossa, commonly known as the sacoglossans or the "sap-sucking sea slugs", are a clade of small sea slugs and sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks that belong to the clade Heterobranchia...
n.
Elysia pusilla feeds on the green alga Halimeda
Halimeda
Halimeda is a genus of green macroalgae. The algal body is composed of calcified green segments. Calcium carbonate is deposited in its tissues, making it inedible to most herbivores....
and incorporates functioning chloroplast
Chloroplast
Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and other eukaryotic organisms that conduct photosynthesis. Chloroplasts capture light energy to conserve free energy in the form of ATP and reduce NADP to NADPH through a complex set of processes called photosynthesis.Chloroplasts are green...
s into its body, thus it is known as a solar-powered sea slug.