APHOTOMARINE
An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.
Elysia viridis (Montagu, 1804) - Solar-powered sea slug or Green elysia
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Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- green specimen 1
Elysia viridis
- green specimen 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- green specimen 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- green specimen 3
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- green specimen 4
Specimen above found on algae collected from the NE corner of Carnsew Pool, Hayle, Cornwall, 10.02.17.
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- brown specimen 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- brown specimen 2
Specimen above found on algae collected from Battery Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall, 28.08.15.
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- feeding on Codium 1
The specimen above was found on a piece of Codium in a rock pool at Skilly, near Newlyn, Cornwall, 29.05.18.
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- variation in colour 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- variation in colour 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- variation in colour 3
Specimens above were found on a piece of Codium tomentosum in pool at Skilly, near Newlyn, Cornwall, 03.08.18.
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- top view 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- under rock / lowershore 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- under rock / lowershore 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- under rock / lowershore 3
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- under rock / lowershore 4
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- on kelp 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- on kelp 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- on kelp 3
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- lateral view 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- found on Codium 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- found on Codium 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- dorsal view 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- lateral view 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- eggs on Codium 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- eggs on Codium 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- eggs on Codium 3
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- eggs on Codium 4
Images of species taken at Spit Point, Par, near St. Austell, Cornwall. 27.05.10; at Battery Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall. 09.02.12; and north of the Cressars reef, Penzance, Cornwall. 12.02.13.
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- juvenile dorsal view 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- juvenile lateral view 1
Specimens above approx. 1.2mm in length, found in a sample of Coral Weed taken at Albert Pier reef, Penzance, Cornwall. 17.05.15.
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- bundles of chloroplasts 1
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- bundles of chloroplasts 2
Solar-powered sea slug
Elysia viridis
- algal chloroplasts 1
A 2mm specimen of Elysia viridis was placed in a cavity well slide and was photographed whilst under a microscope. The chloroplasts inside the animal are likely from the green algae Codium, on which the species feeds. Specimen was found at Newlyn Marina, Newlyn, Cornwall. 08.09.16.
This species is easy to find as it very frequently occurs on Codium species of green algae, also on Bryopsis plumosa, Cladophora rupestris, and another green algae.
The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.