Ghost Slug

Selonochlamys ysbryda

The Ghost Slug is a relatively new species to science, having only been discovered in 2006. Similar slugs had been previously found in Turkey and Georgia, so the discovery of this little guy in Wales was quite interesting! It's species name, S. ysbryda, means "ghost" in Welsh.

Ghost Slugs are interesting because unlike most other slugs, they are carnivores. These guys feed off worms, cutting them up with their teeth and sucking them down. They hunt at night and live underground, sporting pale white skin and no external eyes.

Ghost Slugs may have arrived in Wales via potted plants, as they have only been found in gardens and similar areas. It is still unknown if they are actually an alien species. Biologists are collecting information from residents to help them learn more about Ghost Slugs. An identification guide can even be found on their website.

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Europe

Size : Length 2.5in (6.5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda -- Superfamily : Parmacelloidea
Family : Trigonochlamydidae -- Genus : Selenochlamys -- Species : S. ysbryda

Giant African Snail

Achatina fulica

Meet a member of the invasive species club-- the Giant Afican Snail is considered one of the top 100 worst Invasive Species on the planet. Ant not only are they on the top 100 list, they actually sit at #2!

African Giant Snails are naturally found in East Africa, but they have spread to warm locations around the world in the last few decades. They are large snails (hence the name), sporting shells that can grow to nearly 8in in length. They reach maturity after about 6 months, and can live as long as ten years. During that time they never really stop growing.

They are a hermaphroditic species, possessing both male and female reproductive organs. They do not reproduce asexually-- they need another snail. But their interesting reproductive system makes it easier to multiply, since they do not need to track down a member of the opposite sex.

They feed on over 500 different species of plant, so you can see why they are considered to be such a nuisance! However, the African Giant Snail isn't just considered troublesome because it eats native plants. They also carry parasites that can cause Meningitis in humans, as well as other diseases that can severely damage the crops that they don't consume. In order to keep the invasive Snails in check, quarantines, pesticides, and even flame throwers have been used.

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : East Africa
Size : Length around 8in (22cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda -- Family: Achatinidae
Genus : Achatina -- Species : A. fulica

Berghia coerulescens

Berghia coerulescens

I always love writing about Nudibranchs. They are such colorful little Gastropods! Today's Nudibranch is Berghia coerulescens, a species with that can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. (I was unable to find any common name for the species, but if anyone knows of one, let me know!)

B. coerulescens are quite small, typically between 4 and 7cm. You can identify them by all the weird blue and yellow fringes that grow out from their bodies. These growths are called Cerata, and they aide in respiration and defense. This species consumes Anemones (as do most members of their family). Anemone venom passes through the Nudibranch and actually collects at the tip of the Cerata, making the Nudibranch venomous as well!

Berghia coerulescens is a common species in the temperate waters of its range. They are also sometimes kept in captivity, though they have a relatively short life expectancy (only a few months).

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean 
Size : Body Length up to 2.5in (7cm)
Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda -- Superfamily : Aeolidioidea

Family : Aeolidiidae -- Genus : Berghia -- Species : B. coerulescens

Greater Blue-ringed Octopus

Hapalochlaena lunulata

The Greater Blue-ringed Octopus is, interestingly, not even the largest of the Blue-ringed Octopuses. That honor goes to the confusingly named Lesser (or Southern) Blue-ringed Octopus, which is only a hair larger. In fact, all members of the Blue-ring groups are quite small-- most are only a few centimeters in body length, with tentacles only a tad longer.

 The Greater Blue-ringed Octopus is distinctive among its family members in that it has a relatively large range. Most others live in a very specific watery area, but the Great Blue-ringed can be found in tropical waters throughout the Pacific Ocean, and in parts of the Indian Ocean as well.

These Octopuses get their names from the bright blue circles that appear when they feel threatened. I should note that these rings are visible during calm periods as well, but they are much less noticeable. Those vibrant patches serve as warnings to predators because these guys are venomous! Greater Blue-ringed Octopuses actually have two types of venom-- one that they use to deter would-be attackers, and one that they themselves use to attack prey (small little invertebrates and fish).

Great Blue-ringed Octopus venom can be incredibly dangerous to humans. They don't usually attack unprovoked, but if you do something to make them feel threatened, watch out! The toxin paralyzes and can kill in a matter of minutes!

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Tropical Pacific Ocean
Size :  Body length up to 5cm

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Cephalopoda -- Order : Octopoda
Family : Octopodidae -- Genus : Hapalochlaena -- Species : H. lunulata

Chambered Nautilus

Nautilus pompilius

The Nautilida Order contains six extant species and a handful of extinct ones, some of which date all the way back around 550 million years. They are primitive Cephalopods that often are given the "living fossil" moniker-- they have changed very little over the past several million years.

The Chambered Nautilus is perhaps the best known of the bunch. They are large in size (one subspecies reaches just under a foot in shell diameter) and have a very widespread distribution across the Pacific.

The shell of the Chambered Nautilus is covered in dark and light stripes-- a coloration pattern that camouflages them. The shell serves as protection, and also helps with buoyancy  as the Nautilus can fill and empty out different pockets with gas. As they grow, the shell gains new chambers, and full grown adults will have around 30 different compartments.

Aside from the shell, the Chambered Nautilus displays several other interesting traits. For one, they have no lenses or corneas in their eyes. Secondly, they have around 90 tentacles, none of which have suckers (something most other Cephalopods have).

The Chambered Nautilus is a very slow growing creatures. They are between 15 and 20 years old before they reach sexual maturity. Reproduction takes place internally, with four of the males' tentacles forming a part called the spandix. They use this to transfer a spermatophore mass to the female. The mass attaches to the female's mantle and releases the sperm. Newly hatched babies have shells that measure about 1in in diameter.

Back during the Renaissance, Chambered Nautilus shells were very popular with artists and collectors. They would attach the shells to metal stems, forming decorative cups. Some got exceptionally elaborate-- like this piece using guilt silver that looks like an Ostrich!

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Pacific Ocean
Size : Shell Diameter up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Cephalopoda -- Order : Nautilida
Family : Nautilidae -- Genus : Nautilus -- Species : N. pompilius

Hawaiian Bobtail Squid

Euprymna scolopes

The Hawaiian Bobtail Squid is an itty bitty little thing that has a mantle length of only around one inch! As the name suggests, they can be found off of Hawaiian waters, though they also live in other shallow coastal areas of the central Pacific as well.

The most important thing that you need to know about the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid is has a symbiotic relationship with a bacteria known as Vibrio fischeri.

The bacteria inhabit an organ in the Squid's mantle. The Squid feeds the Bacteria a solution of amino acids and sugar, and in return for the meal the Bacteria gives the Squid a defensive advantage. You see, the organ that the Bacteria lives in deals with light, and the Bacteria itself is bioluminescent. The Bacteria are able to determine the amount of light hitting the top of the Squid's mantle, and then emulate that on the underside. This makes it very difficult to see the Bobtail Squid when looking upwards.

The Squids are not born with the Bacteria ready to go, they must acquire the little helpers by using an attractive mucus. At the end of the Squid's day, most of the Bacteria is expelled in order to conserve body energy.

Hawaiian Bobtail Squid feed on tiny crustaceans, and they themselves are preyed upon primarily by Monk Seals. Even if they are able to avoid the hungry Pinnipeds, the Bobtail Squids have very short lifespans, typically living only 3-10 months.

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Pacific Ocean
Size : mantle length 1.2in (3cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Cephalopoda -- Order : Sepiolida
Family : Sepiolidae -- Genus : Euprymna -- Species : E. scolopes

Kerry Slug

Geomalacus maculosus

The Kerry Slug is a rare Slug that was first discovered in County Kerry, Ireland back in 1842. Since then they have also been found in parts of northern Spain and Portugal. They are medium sized slugs that are easy to identify by their spotted pattern.

The one thing that makes them stand out from other slugs is the fact that they aren't at all considered to be a pest. They are found only in wild areas, rather than in gardens. Their need for wild habitats in one of the reasons the slug has become so rare.

They are also distinctive because of their defensive behavior. When they feel threatened they roll up into a tight ball and unstick themselves from whatever they were holding on to. Other Slugs remain attached.

Kerry Slugs are protected in all of the locations that they are found in. Habitat loss and loss of some of their favorite foods (lichens and mosses) have been hurting the populations of the unique little slug. Protection, monitoring, and captive breeding of the species have helped to keep them going.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Ireland, Spain, Portugal

Size : Length up to 3.2in (8cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda -- Superfamily : Arionoidea
Family : Arionidae -- Genus : Geomalacus-- Species : G. maculosus

Tritonia diomedea

Tritonia diomedea

My daily inspiration for animals comes from all kinds of sources.. and today it comes from a big cute pink slug monster that I saw hanging up at a graphic design exhibit. Convenient muse, huh?

So let's talk about a real-life pink Slug, one that doesn't have anthropomorphic eyes! This is Tritonia diomedea, and it is a Nudibranch. Nudibranches are soft-bodies marine slugs all found within the clade Nudibranchia. There are around 3,000 species, many are stunningly beautiful, and they can be found in oceans worldwide.

T. diomedea lives off of the Northern Pacific Coast of North America. They inhabit relatively shallow waters, ranging at depths between 5 and 750m where there is a sandy or silty sea floor.

Though the image I present is pink, the species can also be found in various shades of red and orange. The Sea Slugs feed on tiny little Cnidarians like Sea Pens and Corals, and they hunt them out using their tentacles to smell!

After looking at so many beautiful Nudibranches, I strongly suggest that you take a long at some of the other fantastic species out there. They are one of the most colorful animal groups out there!

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific Coast of North America
Size : Length around 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda -- clade Nudibranchia
Superfamily : Tritonioidea -- Family : Tritoniidae -- Genus : Tritonia -- Species : T. diomedea

Yochelcionella

Yochelcionella

Today's animal is one of the older ones that we've talked about. Older than Dinosaurs, older even than the existence of land animals. Yochelcionella is the name from a genus of now-extinct  Molluscs that lived during the Cambrian over 520 million years ago.

About a dozen species have been identified from fossils, and they have a very wide distribution. Remember, back 500 million years ago, the world looked like a very different place! Remains have been found in places like China, Australia, Greenland, Canada, Spain, and Antarctica!

Members of the genus can all be identified by their interesting shells. They are very high cones, with little spouts sticking out of them. Scientists tend to agree that these spouts were used for respiration. Because only the shells are found, they are usually reconstructed to look similar to a Snail. Like just almost all animals during this time period, the Yochelcionella species lived underwater.

Perhaps my favorite little fact about these guys is that one species, Y. daleki, is named after the murderous Daleks from the long running British Sci-Fi  series, Doctor Who. The little spout on the Mollusc does kind of bear a resemblance to the Dalek arms...

---

Status : Extinct for around 525 million years

Location : All over the world

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : †Helcionelloida -- Order : †Helcionelliformes
Family : †Yochelcionellidae -- Genus : †Yochelcionella