Context:
Melanochlamys Draupadi a new head shield sea slug species named by Zoological Survey of India.
About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
- It was established in 1916 to promote survey, exploration and research leading to the advancement in our knowledge.
- Its headquarters is located in Kolkata.
- Scientists in ZSI are engaged in exploring, naming, describing, classifying and documenting animals from all over India.
More on News
- The new species has been named after the President of India Droupadi Murmu.
- This species belonging to the Melanochlamys genus was discovered at the West Bengal coast and Odisha coast.
- This new species of head-shield sea slug is endemic to India.
Head Shield Sea Slug
- It is a small invertebrate with a maximum length of up to 7 mm.
- This species is Brownish black in colour with a ruby red spot.
- Their reproduction period is around between November and January.
- This is the second species of head-shield sea slug found in India.
- The sea slugs are rapid hunters and feed upon mobile prey such as other shelled and unshelled sea slugs, roundworms, marine worms and small fishes.
Habitat
- These specimens inhabits in wet, soft and sandy beaches.
Some Important Facts of Sea Slug
- All sea slugs contain both male and female organs (hermaphroditic).
- Males of this species have reproductive systems in their heads while females have in there tails.
- These species are predominantly found in temperate regions of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.