Kleptoplasty is a biological process in which sacoglossan sea slugs ingest chloroplasts from their algal food and retain them within their own cells, allowing the plastids to remain functional and confer photosynthetic benefits to the host. This study investigates the ecological role and potential fitness advantages of kleptoplasty in five species of Elysia (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia), using a 2×2 experimental design to test the interactive effects of light and food availability. The research aimed to determine whether slugs derive measurable benefits from kleptoplasty, whether they compensate through increased heterotrophy in the absence of light, and how algal diet influences plastid performance. Fitness was evaluated through changes in body mass, length, and reproductive output, while photosynthetic efficiency was assessed via maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm), measured using pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry. The results reveal species-specific responses to light and food, with evidence that kleptoplasty enhances fitness under favourable conditions but cannot universally substitute for feeding. These results also represent the first experimental evidence of functional kleptoplasty in E. manriquei, E. cf. subornata and E. levis.
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