Description
Adult Elysia chlorotica are usually bright green in colour, due to the presence of Vaucheria litorea chloroplasts in the cells of the slugs digestive diverticula. However, they can occasionally appear reddish or greyish in colour, thought to depend on the amount of chlorophyll in the branches of the digestive gland which ramify throughout the body. This species can also have very small red or white spots scattered over the body. A juvenile, prior to feeding, is brown with red pigment spots due to the absence of chloroplasts. Elysia chlorotica have a typical elysiid shape with large lateral parapodia which can fold over to enclose the body. Elysia chlorotica can grow up to 60mm in length but are more commonly found between 20mm to 30mm in length.
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