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| Blue-gray Taildropper | |
|---|---|
_(14992510911).jpg)
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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, or the Blue-gray Taildropper, is a small species of slug belonging to the genus Prophysaon, a genus known for the self-amputation of their tail (autotomy)[2]. They are native to western North America, from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California[3].
Description
editP. coeruleum are notable for their blue-gray colour. They have been described in several colours, including blue, glue-gray, dark great, brown and black, all observed with opalescent spots[4]. They have 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]. They vary in length, adults ranging from 20 to 40 mm, with nearly one-third of that length being the mantle[5]. Their 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
editP. 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]. They are thought to only be able to disperse tens to hundreds of meters every generation, meaning they cannot move far in their lifetime[4]. Surveys suggest that the populations in their northern range are made up of several isolated populations, although the exact reasons for this isolation are not currently known[5].
History
editThere is genetic variations within the species, with evidece to suggest that it is composed of three major groups, and eight subgroups[4]. This genetic variation, mostly observed it their 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
editThe main components of the diet of P. coeruleum are fungal spores and hyphae[7]. The come largely from mycorrhizal fungi, which form mutually beneficial (symbiotic) relationships with various vascular plants[5][7]. They have 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) part 2 (Vol. 2). Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (3). https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015035488801&seq=25
- ^ Ovaska, K., Leonard, W. P., Chichester, L., Burke, T. E., Sopuck, L., & Baugh, J. (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. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2004.02234.x
- ^ 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.