Kleptoplast photosynthesis is nutritionally relevant in the sea slug Elysia viridis

Abstract Several sacoglossan sea slug species feed on macroalgae and incorporate chloroplasts into tubular cells of their digestive diverticula. We investigated the role of the “stolen” chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) in the nutrition of the sea slug Elysia viridis and assessed how their abundance, dist...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Paulo Cartaxana, Erik Trampe, Michael Kühl, Sónia Cruz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08002-0