Geomalacus malagensis
| Geomalacus malagensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Arionidae |
| Genus: | Geomalacus |
| Subgenus: | Arrudia |
| Species: | G. malagensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Geomalacus malagensis Wiktor & Norris, 1991[1]
| |
Geomalacus malagensis is a species of air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Arionidae, the round back slugs.
Distribution
[edit]Distribution of Geomalacus malagensis include southern Spain and Gibraltar.[2]
Description
[edit]This slug species is pale beige-greenish to beige-grey, sometimes also yellowish-orange, with blackish narrow lateral bands having clearly marked upper edges and blurry lower edges, running from posterior end to frontal section of mantle, above the pneumostome.[2] The shape of the slug is elongate, dorso-ventrally flattened (oval in transversal cut).[2] The head is very short (only 2–3 mm protruding from under the mantle).[2] Tentacles are brown and long.[2] Mantle length covers 35% of body.[2] There are 26 grooves between medial line of dorsum and pneumostome.[2] Sole is dirty cream, transparent (viscera visible in live slugs), medial section narrower than lateral sections and slightly concave.[2] Mucus is colourless and thin, also when irritated, sometimes with orange hue.[2] Mucus secreted onto the ground while crawling breaks into thin threads and coagulates into a unique spider-web like pattern, not seen in Arion species.[2]
The length of the body is up to 80 × 10.5 mm (preserved 58 × 11 mm).[2]
Ecology
[edit]Geomalacus malagensis is frequent on calcareous soil, in gardens, shrubland and open forests.[2]
It seems to feed on fruits and other soft parts of plants.[2]
Sexually mature slugs are found in spring and autumn.[2]
Captured slugs were found infected with nematodes.[2]
References
[edit]This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.[2]
- ^ Wiktor A. & Norris A. (1991). "Geomalacus malagensis sp. n. and some remarks concerning generic level systematics of Arionidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)". Journal of Conchology 34(1): 19-29. London.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Species summary for Geomalacus malagensis". AnimalBase, last modified 23 June 2008, accessed 9 December 2010.