The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has come up with an amazing discovery of the new species of marine slugs that lived near the high water mark and wet sandy beaches of Odisha and Bengal. Named after the President, the Melanochlamys Draupadi sea slug has sparked much interest. With its brownish-black hue resembling cherry cobbler and red spot, a beautiful addition, this sea creature stretches up to seven mm in length, standing out in the marine world.
The team of scientists, under the leadership of ZSI’s Prasad Chandra Tudu, succeeded in identifying Melanochlamys Draupadi in a three-kilometer strait of the Bay of Bengal coastline from Digha in West Bengal to Udaipur in Odisha. It follows the second species of headshield sea slug found in Indian waters, as the latter are predominantly found along the cooler regions of the Indo-Pacific Oceanic realm. The research paper on the species of marine slug mating patterns published in the eminent journal Molluscan Research gives an insight into the periods of sexual reproduction that take place between November and January of different years.
The research team was led by Dr. Tudu, who expressed his joy with the choice of the scientific name of the species after the name of the new president of India, who he cited were members of the same community from the Rairangpur area of Mayurbhanj district. Sea slugs, which unsurprisingly share the appearance of slugs, can be found in different marine habitats, starting from the shallow intertidal zones to the coral reefs and even down to the ocean’s depth. They are extremely fast in terms of hunting, and they feed on sea arrows, marine worms, and small water fish.
Therefore, the number of newly discovered species of sea slugs worldwide has enlarged; as a result, it is currently 18, which, according to the officials of ZSI, is a major achievement. Melanochlamys Draupadi holds further intrigue as a hermaphrodite species, possessing both male and female reproductive organs. However, its reproductive cycle necessitates the presence of another sea slug. This discovery not only enriches our understanding of marine biodiversity but also underscores the importance of preserving our coastal ecosystems for future generations.
