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Rare species of sea slug found near Dongsha Islands
Kaohsiung, Oct. 21 (CNA) A rare species of sea slug previously found only in Okinawa, , was spotted last month near the coastal regions of the Dongsha Marine National Park (DMNP), park officials said Friday. The discovery of the sea slug, ercolania subviridis, near the Dongsha Islands indicates that its habitat has shifted south, according to DMNP research reports. In 1959, Japan's leading researcher on sea slugs and bubble snails, Kikutaro Baba, discovered the sea slugs off the coast of Okinawa, according to the Marine National Park Headquarters (MNPH). After checking the records from September 2011 and matching them with Baba's findings, DMNP researchers confirmed that the new sea slug species found on the Dongsha Islands was similar to ercolania subviridis, the MNPH said. The yellow green sea slug lives in shallow water, at a depth of a couple meters, and feeds on green algae. It is 0.2-0.3 cm long. The MNPH said the Dongsha Islands' isolation and natural environment is most likely helpful to preserving different species of creatures. The island's location, where north and south ocean currents meet, probably also contributed to its biodiversity, the MNPH said. Reports show the sea slug is capable of retaining the green algae photosynthesis functions by incorporating the chloroplasts from the algae into its digestive glands, and redistributing the photosynthetic cell structure to the surface of its transparent body.
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