Sea Slug Mucus Production Is Supported by Photosynthesis of Stolen Chloroplasts.

ABSTRACT: A handful of sea slugs of the order Sacoglossa are able to steal chloroplasts-kleptoplasts-from their algal food sources and maintain them functionally for periods ranging from several weeks to a few months. In this study, we investigated the role of kleptoplast photosynthesis on mucus production by the tropical sea slug Elysia crispata. Animals reared for 5 weeks in quasi dark (5 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1) showed similar growth to those under regular light (60-90 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1), showing that kleptoplast photosynthesis was not relevant for growth when sea slugs were fed ad libitum. However, when subjected to short-term desiccation stress, animals reared under regular light produced significantly more mucus. Furthermore, the carbohydrate

SUBMITTER: Lopes D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9405057 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature