Elysia gordanae

Elysia gordanae (also Elysia margaritae) is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc.

This sea slug resembles a nudibranch, but it is not closely related to that order of gastropods. It is instead a sacoglossan.

It was first described by Thompson and Jaklin in 1988 from off the coast of Spain. It is also known from the Adriatic Sea and other parts of the Mediterranean Sea.

Description

Elysia gordanae grows to about 17 millimetres (0.67 in) long.

The colour is dappled yellowish-green and fawn with fine red speckles, especially on the pinkish parts of the head, the parapodia and rhinophores. The parapodia are edged with dark green and small white thickened areas.

The egg mass is distinctive, the white eggs having orange yolks lying beside their capsules.