General Description
Body shape slug-like with shell. Gill structures internal. Pattern includes shades or colours of green, white and/or yellow. Animal up to 3 cm long, shell up to 1 cm across.
Biology
When attacked, this species can break-off its tail, which wriggles around and distracts the predator allowing the animal to escape. A new tail will eventually grow. These brilliantly green coloured sea slugs crawl and feed on green seaweeds, mostly of Caulerpa species.
Distribution
Tropical and temperate Indo-Pacific, including Australia.
Habitat
On and among green algae, to depth of 10 m.
More Information
-
Animal Type
-
Animal SubType
-
Brief Id
Green with white and blue spots, spherical shell.
-
Colours
Green, White, Blue
-
Habitats
-
Diet
Herbivore
-
Diet Categories
Seaweed
-
Endemicity
-
Commercial
No
-
Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, DSE Advisory List: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
-
Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m)
-
Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
-
Taxon Name
-
Scientific Author
Pease, 1861
-
Common Name
Sap-sucking Sea Slug
-
Phylum
-
Subphylum
-
Superclass
-
Class
-
Subclass
-
Superorder
-
Order
-
Suborder
-
Superfamily
-
Family
-
Genus
-
Species Name
viridis