Tri-banded Taco Slug
Elysia marginata
- Usual depth2–15 m
- Water temperature18–30 °C
- Best monthsMarch, April, and July
- How commonOccasional
Photo credit: (c) Steve Childs, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Elysia marginata is a marine gastropod in the family Plakobranchidae. It is known for its ability to regenerate its whole body and heart after autotomizing it from its head.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Elysia marginata”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 87 records
- February: 122 records
- March: 148 records
- April: 143 records
- May: 110 records
- June: 129 records
- July: 135 records
- August: 114 records
- September: 101 records
- October: 94 records
- November: 113 records
- December: 99 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–15 m · Deepest record: 23 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 18–30 °C
Photos
(c) Bart, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Bernard Picton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ben Costamagna, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Pierre Pericard, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Bart, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Susan Prior, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Tri-banded Taco Slug
Names in 4 more languages
- French
- Elysie bordée
- Japanese
- コノハミドリガイ
- Korean
- 파래날씬이갯민숭붙이
- Simplified Chinese
- 緣邊平鰓海天牛
Other scientific names: Pterogasteron marginatus
Similar species
Lettuce slugElysia ornata
Halimeda Taco SlugElysia pusilla
Yellow elysiaElysia flava
Furry Taco SlugElysia tomentosa
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 225 open-data records from 1955 to 2026.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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