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Philippines · Indo Pacific - South China Sea
A large, leaf-like sacoglossan sea slug. It is "solar-powered": it keeps the chloroplasts of the algae it eats alive in its own body. By 2012 Israel had a large breeding population.
Share link: https://seaslugs.org.il/species/elysia-grandifolia-phillipines-indo-pacific-south-china-sea/
Light green body with small white spots. Very large, thin, veined green flaps (parapodia) on each side, edged with touching black and orange bands. Rolled, ear-like rhinophores.
Elysia ornata usually has white between the black and orange bands and is smaller. The native Elysia timida is small and white with red specks.
Rocky shores covered in Bryopsis algae, lagoons and piers; ~0.5–8 m.
Sucks sap from green algae of the genus Bryopsis and keeps their chloroplasts.
