IT IS TIME
Aug 23, 2024
Bodies are soooo last season.
Elysia marginata
This sacoglossan is one of only two known species (so far) to separate their head from the rest of their body, including most of their organs, as well as the heart. They are essentially just a head at this point, and young individuals who have gone through this autonomy start eating soon after detachment. This extreme shedding of body parts is thought to occur because of parasite infestation. The process is slow and can take several hours to complete. Also, these sea slugs utilize kleptoplasty—taking chloroplasts from their food and incorporating them into their cells where photosynthesis can be used—which may help them survive until they regrow enough body to function normally, although it is still a mystery how they can survive in this state. It was observed to take about a week for the sea slugs to grow their new heart and even their entire body in some cases.
This species lives in the Indo-Pacific in shallow water where they feed off of algae.
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