Pseudunela marteli is a species of sea slug, an acochlidian, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pseudunelidae.
The specific name marteli is in honour of author's "big-hearted friend and colleague" biologist Martin âÂÂMartlâ Heàfrom LMU Munich, because the species has a large heart-bulb.
Pseudunela marteli is known from Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, and Oyster Island, Vanuatu. The type locality is beach of âÂÂArt GalleryâÂÂ, Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
External morphology and anatomy of Pseudunela marteli is the same as in Pseudunela viatoris with the following exceptions: Colour of digestive gland is greenish or orange-brownish. Eyes (30âÂÂ35 üm) are pigmented and well visible externally. Foot length is up to half of the visceral hump. Subepidermal s are more abundant in cephalic tentacles, foot and visceral hump.
digestive system: the radula formula is 57âÂÂ59ÃÂ1.1.?; rhachidian tooth with 3âÂÂ4 denticles per side.
reproductive system: the hollow curved penial stylet measures 130 üm in length, the stylet of basal finger is 30 üm long. The ampulla is sac-like; allosperm receptacles are absent in the examined specimen. The albumen and mucous glands are tubular; the membrane gland is sac-like.
Pseudunela marteli is a minute species that lives in the spaces between sand grains in saltwater habitats, and it is thus considered to be a mesopsammic, marine interstitial animal that is part of the meiofauna of marine sands.
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