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