Ascoglossa

Ascoglossa is a clade of sacoglossan sea slugs and sacoglossan snails. These marine gastropod mollusks are characterized by their unique feeding apparatus, the radula, which is adapted for piercing plant tissues and sucking out the cellular contents. This feeding strategy has led to a fascinating evolutionary relationship with many species of algae, from which sacoglossans derive their nutrition. A particularly remarkable adaptation found in some ascoglossans is the ability to sequester chloroplasts from their algal diet. These stolen chloroplasts, called kleptoplasts, can remain functional within the slug's tissues for extended periods, providing the animal with photosynthetic products. This phenomenon is a form of kleptoplasty and essentially allows these slugs to photosynthesize, a rare trait for animals. Ascoglossans exhibit a wide diversity of forms and coloration, often mirroring their algal food sources for camouflage. They are found in marine environments worldwide, typically inhabiting shallow, temperate, and tropical waters where their algal prey is abundant. Their classification and evolutionary history are subjects of ongoing research, with molecular data playing a significant role in understanding their relationships within the Gastropoda.