Why is it in the News?

The Zoological Survey of India named a new marine species of head-shield sea slug with ruby red spot which was discovered from West Bengal and Odisha coast after President of India Droupadi Murmu.

About Melanochlamys Droupadi:

• Melanochlamys Droupadi is a newly discovered marine species of head-shield sea slug distinguished by its striking ruby red spot.
• This species, belonging to the Melanochlamys genus, was first identified along the coasts of Digha in West Bengal and Udaipur in Odisha.

Key Features:

• This small invertebrate typically measures up to 7 mm in length.
• It primarily inhabits wet and soft sandy beaches.
• Adorned in brownish-black hues, it features a distinctive ruby-red spot towards its hind end.
• Melanochlamys Droupadi exhibits hermaphroditic characteristics, possessing both male and female reproductive organs. However, it requires another sea slug for successful reproduction.
• Internally, it possesses a shell and a posterior segment comprising 61 per cent of its body length.
• To safeguard against sand infiltration, it continuously secretes transparent mucus, forming a protective sheath around its body.
• When in motion, it burrows beneath smooth sand, creating a moving capsule where its body remains mostly concealed, akin to a turtle, leaving behind a discernible trail.

What are Sea Slugs?

• Sea slugs are a diverse group of molluscs inhabiting marine environments, characterized by their slug-like appearance.
• They occupy a wide range of habitats, spanning from shallow intertidal zones to the depths of the ocean, and from polar regions to tropical waters.
• As agile predators, sea slugs prey on mobile organisms such as other shelled and unshelled sea slugs, roundworms, marine worms, and small fish.
• Currently, researchers have identified 18 species of sea slugs worldwide.
• While sea slugs predominantly inhabit temperate regions within the Indo-Pacific Oceanic realm, three species exhibit truly tropical distributions: Melanochlamys papillata from the Gulf of Thailand, Melanochlamys bengalensis from the West Bengal and Odisha coast, and the newly discovered species.