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S China's Hainan records two new species

(People's Daily Online) 16:36, May 22, 2023

The combo photo shows Elysia leucolegnote (left) and Elysia tomentosa (right). (Photo courtesy of Wan Yinglang and his team)

Wan Yinglang, a professor of the College of Tropical Crops at Hainan University in south China's Hainan Province, and his team announced two newly recorded species they discovered in the island province in the past three years.

The two species of sea slugs are Elysia leucolegnote and Elysia tomentosa. This marks the first time mollusks surviving off photosynthesis were recorded in the Chinese mainland.

In May 2020, Wan and his team found Elysia leucolegnote at the Dongzhai Port National Nature Reserve in the provincial capital Haikou.

Wan's team published their findings of Elysia leucolegnote in the Chinese Journal of Zoology in March 2021, marking the first time that the species was recorded in Hainan and China. This type of sea slug is 5-8 mm long.

Wan's team spotted Elysia tomentosa, which is 40 mm long, in the province's Wenchang city.

Sea slugs are also called "sea bunny" because each has two antennas, which look like the ears of a rabbit, on top of its head, according to Wan.

The discovery provides new insights into the understanding of China's marine species resources and the establishment of the country's marine ecosystems.


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(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)

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