Ringed Sap-sucking Slug (species: Plakobranchus ocellatus) in Frankland Island Group, QLD (Gaia Guide)
Frankland Island Group, QLD > Animalia > Mollusca > Gastropoda > Sacoglossa > Plakobranchus ocellatus (gallery)
Plakobranchus ocellatus
Ringed Sap-sucking Slug


©Angel Valdés, EOL Learning and Education Group on Flickr: Plakobranchus ocellatus

©Barbara Banks: Plakobranchus ocellatus

©Heike Waegele: Plakobranchus ocellatus at Lizard Island

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Sacoglossa
Family Plakobranchidae
Genus Plakobranchus
Species Plakobranchus ocellatus

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Colours

                        

Distinguishing features

The body is broad, truncate, and rather flattened. The background colour is usually pale green, beige, or cream with large ocelli (spots similar to eyespots) of cream, brown, pink, and purple in varying shades. The sole of the foot also has ocelli. (Wikipedia)

Size

  • Up to 4 cm (Length of specimen)

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

These seaslugs live in sheltered, shallow water habitats with stones or gravel and silt. (Wikipedia)

Web resources

References

  • Christa, G., L. Wescott, T.F. Schaeberle, G.M. Koenig and H. Waegele (2012). What remains after 2 months of starvation? Analysis of sequestered algae in a photosynthetic slug, Plakobranchus ocellatus (Sacoglossa, Opisthobranchia), by barcoding. Planta, doi 10.1007/s00425-012-1788-6. LIRS catalog number 1548.
  • Evertsen, J. (2008). Solar powered phycozoans, Ph.D. thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. LIRS catalog number 1144.
  • Evertsen, J., I. Burghardt, G. Johnsen and H. Waegele (2007). Retention of functional chloroplasts in some saccoglossans from the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean, Marine Biology, 151: 2159-2166. LIRS catalog number 1078.
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