ZSI names a newly discovered sea slug after President Murmu

  • March 1, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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ZSI names a newly discovered sea slug after President Murmu

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

  • The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered a new species of head-shield sea slug with a distinctive ruby red spot.
  • Found along the West Bengal (Digha) and Odisha (Udaipur) coasts.
  • Named Melanochlamys droupadi in honour of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.

Species Characteristics:

  • Belongs to the Melanochlamys genus, notable for short, blunt, cylindrical body and smooth dorsal surface with two dorsal shields: anterior cephalic and posterior.
  • Unique features of Melanochlamys droupadi:
    • The maximum length of 7 mm, Brownish-black colour with a ruby red spot at the hind end, Hermaphroditic, with a shell inside the body, and Typically found crawling in the intertidal zone, leaving crawl marks on sandy beaches.

Reproduction and Habitat:

  • The reproduction period is between November and January.
  • Located near Hospital Ghat, Old Digha, only 50 meters away from ZSI’s Marine Aquarium Regional Centre.

Conservation and Study:

  • Type specimens are deposited in the Marine Aquarium and Regional Centre, Digha, and Estuarine Biology and Regional Centre, Gopalpur.
  • The species exhibits behaviour like secreting transparent mucus for protection against sand grains and moving beneath smooth sand, rarely exposing its body.

Distribution and Significance:

  • Melanochlamys species are generally found in temperate regions of the Indo-Pacific Oceanic realm, with three species, including Melanochlamys droupadi, being truly tropical.
  • Other tropical species include Melanochlamys papillata from the Gulf of Thailand and Melanochlamys bengalensis from the West Bengal and Odisha coasts.
  • Their research highlights the unique adaptation mechanisms of Melanochlamys droupadi, contributing to the understanding of marine biodiversity in the region.

About Sea Slug:

  • Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs.
  • The name “sea slug” is often applied to nudibranchs and a paraphyletic set of other marine gastropods without apparent shells.

Source: TH

Environment ZSI names a newly discovered sea slug after President Murmu