Prophysaon coeruleum
| Blue-gray Taildropper | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Ariolimacidae |
| Genus: | Prophysaon |
| Species: | P. coeruleum
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| Binomial name | |
| Prophysaon coeruleum Cockerell, 1890
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Prophysaon coeruleum, the blue-gray taildropper, is a small species of slug belonging to the genus Prophysaon, a genus known for autotomy.[2] It is native to western North America, from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California.[3]
Description
[edit]Prophysaon coeruleum is notable for its blue-gray colour. It has been described in several colours, including blue, glue-gray, dark great, brown and black, all observed with opalescent spots.[4] It has also been observed in light gray or white.[4] The variation in colour is though to be due to differences in the pigment melanin, although the reason for the variation in these slugs is unknown.[4] It varies in length, adults ranging from 20 to 40 mm (0.79 to 1.57 in), with nearly one-third of that length being the mantle.[5] Its tail, which can be self-amputated, has grooves along the length of it and a line at the point of [[amputation.[2][6]
Distribution and dispersal
[edit]Prophysaon coeruleum can be found in western North America, from the southern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, at its most northern point, down towards northern California, USA.[5] It is thought to only be able to disperse tens to hundreds of meters every generation, meaning it cannot move far in its lifetime.[4] Surveys suggest that the populations in its northern range are made up of several isolated populations, although the exact reasons for this isolation are not currently known.[5]
History
[edit]There is genetic variation within the different species, along with evidence to suggest that it's composed of three major groups and eight subgroups.[4] This genetic variation, mostly observed in its southern range, likely occurred 2.6-5.9 million years ago due to geological events.[4] There is also evidence showing that disturbances from less than 2 million years ago, during the Pleistocene, also led to some genetic variations.[4]
Diet
[edit]The main components of the diet of Prophysaon coeruleum are fungal spores and hyphae.[7] They come largely from mycorrhizal fungi, which form mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationships with various vascular plants.[5][7] It has also been recorded as eating vascular plant tissues, lichens, and imperfect fungi.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Prophysaon coeruleum". Natureserve Explorer. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ a b Pilsbry, H. A. (1948). "Land Mollusca of North America (north of Mexico)". Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. II, part2 (3).
- ^ Ovaska, K.; Leonard, W. P.; Chichester, L.; Burke, T. E.; et al. (2004). "Prophysaon coeruleum Cockerell, 1890, blue-gray taildropper (Gastropoda : Arionidae): new distributional records and reproductive anatomy". Western North American Naturalist. 64 (4): 538‑543.
- ^ a b c d e f g Wilke, T.; Duncan, N. (2004). "Phylogeographical patterns in the American Pacific Northwest : Lessons from the arionid slug Prophysaon coeruleum". Molecular Ecology. 13 (8): 2303‑2315. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2004.02234.x. PMID 15245403.
- ^ a b c d COSEWIC. (2016). COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Blue-grey Taildropper Prophysaon coeruleum in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
- ^ Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2018). Recovery Strategy for the Blue-grey Taildropper (Prophysaon coeruleum) in Canada. Environment and Climate Change Canada.
- ^ a b c McGraw, R.; Duncan, N.; Cazares, E. (2002). "Fungi and Other Items Consumed by the Blue-Gray Taildropper Slug (Prophysaon coeruleum) and the Papillose Taildropper Slug (Prophysaon dubium)". The Veliger. 45 (3): 261‑264.
 | This article needs additional or more specific categories. (November 2024) |