Elysia viridis

Green Samtschnecken ( Elysia viridis)

The Green Samtschnecke ( Elysia viridis) is a living marine species in the genus Elysia in the family Placobranchidae from the subordination of the pharyngeal pouch snails ( Sacoglossa ) from the order of opisthobranch ( Opisthobranchia ).

Description

Elysia viridis has an elongated body with a pair of head tentacles and two emerging from the body ( reminiscent of wings ) gill appendages on the back of the rear 2/3 of the body. The screw reaches a length of up to 3 cm - but often stays significantly smaller. The body is green - the color can vary from light green to dark green to dark brown green or black green and has bright spots of green, blue or red paint on - the surface appears to have a velvet -like texture.

Dissemination

Elysia viridis occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic as well as in the North Sea and the western Baltic ( approximately up to the Belt Sea ).

Way of life

Elysia viridis can already be seen in the shallow depth of the shallow water, where she lives on algae, algae overgrown with hard or soft ground and sea grass. They graze algae from - there are algal cells (or chloroplasts ) are not digested but operate in the body of the worm continue photosynthesis (see Kleptoplastie ) - which leads to the green color of the screw. This makes it go without food the worm ( depending on the light ) are possible for several months - a feature found only in species of the genus Elysia.

Elysia viridis is hermaphrodite.

Swell

  • Underwater world ostsee.de and tauchmonitor.de divers monitor the Baltic Sea
  • Alfred Brehm: Brehm's Animal Life ( Ninth Volume ) mention as "Green Sammetschnecke "
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