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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Biology
2026
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| Online Access: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41594903/ |
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| _version_ | 1868266095148793856 |
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| author | Cartaxana, Paulo Lopes, Diana Havurinne, Vesa Silva, Maria I Calado, Ricardo Cruz, Sónia |
| author_facet | Cartaxana, Paulo Lopes, Diana Havurinne, Vesa Silva, Maria I Calado, Ricardo Cruz, Sónia Cartaxana, Paulo Lopes, Diana Havurinne, Vesa Silva, Maria I Calado, Ricardo Cruz, Sónia |
| collection | PubMed - marine biology |
| contents | Laboratory Rearing of the Photosynthetic Sea Slug (Gastropoda, Sacoglossa): Implications for the Study of Kleptoplasty and Species Conservation. Cartaxana, Paulo Lopes, Diana Havurinne, Vesa Silva, Maria I Calado, Ricardo Cruz, Sónia Some Sacoglossa sea slugs are capable of stealing and maintaining functional intracellular chloroplasts-kleptoplasts-from their macroalgal prey for periods of up to several months, a process known as kleptoplasty. Although the cultivation of these marine invertebrates under laboratory conditions is crucial for research in various fields (e.g., endosymbiosis, animal physiology, discovery of new marine natural products), rearing protocols are scarce. This study presents a standardized protocol for the laboratory rearing of large numbers of the sacoglossan tropical sea slug . The detailed protocol successfully facilitated embryonic development, larval metamorphosis, and juvenile-to-adult transition, allowing the rearing of multiple generations. Two groups, characterized by acquiring different kleptoplasts, were obtained by feeding the sea slugs with two different prey macroalgae: sp. and . Usually referred to as lettuce sea slug among marine aquarium hobbyists, is a highly valued organism for its striking appearance and ability to control nuisance algal growth in reef aquariums. This protocol allows experimental reproducibility and access to specimens under different development stages, potentially boosting research on kleptoplasty while also contributing to reducing the impact of the marine aquarium trade on natural populations. |
| format | Artículo científico |
| id | pubmed_41594903 |
| institution | PubMed |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Biology |
| record_format | pubmed |
| spellingShingle | Laboratory Rearing of the Photosynthetic Sea Slug (Gastropoda, Sacoglossa): Implications for the Study of Kleptoplasty and Species Conservation. Cartaxana, Paulo Lopes, Diana Havurinne, Vesa Silva, Maria I Calado, Ricardo Cruz, Sónia Laboratory Rearing of the Photosynthetic Sea Slug (Gastropoda, Sacoglossa): Implications for the Study of Kleptoplasty and Species Conservation. Cartaxana, Paulo Lopes, Diana Havurinne, Vesa Silva, Maria I Calado, Ricardo Cruz, Sónia Some Sacoglossa sea slugs are capable of stealing and maintaining functional intracellular chloroplasts-kleptoplasts-from their macroalgal prey for periods of up to several months, a process known as kleptoplasty. Although the cultivation of these marine invertebrates under laboratory conditions is crucial for research in various fields (e.g., endosymbiosis, animal physiology, discovery of new marine natural products), rearing protocols are scarce. This study presents a standardized protocol for the laboratory rearing of large numbers of the sacoglossan tropical sea slug . The detailed protocol successfully facilitated embryonic development, larval metamorphosis, and juvenile-to-adult transition, allowing the rearing of multiple generations. Two groups, characterized by acquiring different kleptoplasts, were obtained by feeding the sea slugs with two different prey macroalgae: sp. and . Usually referred to as lettuce sea slug among marine aquarium hobbyists, is a highly valued organism for its striking appearance and ability to control nuisance algal growth in reef aquariums. This protocol allows experimental reproducibility and access to specimens under different development stages, potentially boosting research on kleptoplasty while also contributing to reducing the impact of the marine aquarium trade on natural populations. |
| title | Laboratory Rearing of the Photosynthetic Sea Slug (Gastropoda, Sacoglossa): Implications for the Study of Kleptoplasty and Species Conservation. |
| url | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41594903/ |