Elysia Chlorotica: A Sap-Sucking, Solar-Powered Sea Slug

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/05/05/Sneaky_Sea_Slugs_Three_Tales_of_Tidepool_Thievery

Dr. Rebecca Johnson, invertebrate zoologist at the California Academy of Sciences, introduces Elysia chlorotica, a sea slug with interesting eating habits. The sap-sucking sea slug has evolved to undergo photosynthesis using chloroplasts obtained from the algae it eats.

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Academy invertebrate zoologist Dr. Rebecca Johnson, discusses her research on the astounding biology and diversity of nudibranchs (sea slugs). Learn how these beautiful and colorful mollusks use their food to defend themselves from predators!

This talk is part of an intertidal excursion sponsored by the Academy and the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. - California Academy of Sciences

Dr. Rebecca F. Johnson is an invertebrate zoologist at the California Academy of Sciences.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• slugs
• photosynthesis
• chloroplasts
• plants
• animals
• algae
• underwater
• life
• dna
• genome
• fora.tv
• foratv
• fora
• tv
• rebecca
• johnson
• california
• academy
• of
• sciences

[BranVan10k]

ok, but does it have ADAM

[whenindoubtdo]

WORST PLASMID EVER!!!

[gregm2476]

@ThyrmBloodaxe that was the word i was looking for! thanks man!

[ThyrmBloodaxe]

@gregm2476 yes. that is called endosymbiosis. the origin of photosynthesis was recently found in the Cyanophora paradoxa. it was on a recent sciencedaily article

[gregm2476]

@ThyrmBloodaxe oh, protists are annoying, do you think it could be in the process of evolution where it mixes its dna with chloroplasts, kind of like how we heterotrophs gained mitochondria and plants have chloroplasts and mitochondria?

[ThyrmBloodaxe]

@gregm2476 might be a mixotroph like a protist...just does whatever it feels like.

[ThyrmBloodaxe]

@BranVan10k rofl, this is exactly what i was thinking about when i heard about it

[gregm2476]

so is this a autotroph or heterotroph? lol im leaning more towards autotroph

[TheCrossways]

@NYtassu SEA VAGINA!!

[NYtassu]

0:13, does it look like something humans have?

[starwars6rulz]

@NYtassu it's called an alien

[ripriprippity]

Don't lie to me Rebecca