Elysia viridis
| Sap-sucking slug | |
|---|---|
| A live individual of Elysia viridis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Family: | Plakobranchidae |
| Genus: | Elysia |
| Species: | E. viridis |
| Binomial name | |
| Elysia viridis (Montagu, 1804) | |
Elysia viridis is a sacoglossan sea slug of the family Plakobranchidae. They are occasionally nicknamed the sap sucking slugs for their ability to suck the cytoplasm out of the algae they prey upon,. Adult length is considered to be between 15–20 mm long, and they vary in color from greens to brownish hues. Elysia viridis is one of few organisms capable of kleptoplasty; when consuming the cytoplasm of its algal prey E. viridis can retain the chloroplasts in working condition, and being able to benefit from their continued photosynthesis.