MELANOCHLAMYS DROUPADI - ENVIRONMENT
News:
ZSI names a newly
discovered head-shield sea slug after President Droupadi Murmu
What's
in the news?
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The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has
announced the discovery of a new marine species of head-shield sea slug. It has
been named as Melanochlamys droupadi
after the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
Melanochlamys droupadi:
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It was discovered from Digha of West Bengal coast and Udaipur of
Odisha coast.
Habitat:
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These species are typically found along
the intertidal zone, leaving crawl marks on sandy beaches.
Distribution:
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Species of the genus Melanochlamys are
primarily found in temperate regions of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, but three
species are truly tropical - Melanochlamys papillata from the
Gulf of Thailand, Melanochlamys bengalensis from West Bengal and Odisha coasts,
and the current species (Melanochlamys droupadi).
Features:
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It is characterized by a short, blunt and
cylindrical body and a smooth dorsal surface with two dorsal equal or unequal
shields.
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It’s a tiny brownish-black invertebrate, measuring up to 7 mm long, with a ruby
red spot at its rear.
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It has a shell inside its body and is a
hermaphrodite (organisms possesses both male and female reproductive organs).
Reproduction:
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They reproduce between November and
January.
Go
back to basics:
Sea
Slugs:
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Sea slugs are a group of molluscs that live primarily in marine habitats and are
slug-like.
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They can be found from the shallow
intertidal to the deep sea and from the polar regions to the tropics.
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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.
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So far, 18 species have been discovered
across the globe.
Zoological
Survey of India (ZSI):
●
It is a subordinate organization of the Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Government of India.
●
It was established in 1916 as a national
centre for faunistic survey and exploration of the resources.
Headquarters –
Kolkata
Role:
●
It is a national center for surveying and
exploring fauna to advance knowledge about the country’s diverse wildlife.