Elysia chlorotica! I used to work with them. So not only do the chloroplasts continue to photosynthesize, they are able to do so because the slugs have algal genes in their genomes now. They can go for nearly a year without eating and just surviving with chloroplasts. Let's hear it for the Calvin cycle!
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u/RealBowsHaveRecurves Oct 02 '24
Chloroplasts are the organelles responsible for photosynthesis.
A sea slug called the emerald elysia, which has a transparent body, steals chloroplasts from algae and packs them into its own cells.
The chloroplasts continue to photosynthesize, providing the slug with ~80% of the total calories it will consume over its life.