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The Wilson’s Velutinid (Mystaconcha wilsoni) looks very similar to opisthobranch however it is actually a ‘snail’ rather than a ‘seaslug’. It belongs to the Velutinidae family (previously Lamellariidae) and velutinids are a group of snails in which the flattened shell has been covered over by the mantle so they look like sea slugs. In most velutinids the shell is open and flattened, much like a small abalone shell (Haliotidae), and at least partially enveloped by the fleshy mantle. In most cases, when they are crawling a pair of head tentacles will emerge from beneath the body, instantly showing that these are not opisthobranch sea slugs. Another character is the anterior siphon above the head which opens into the mantle cavity. This species is often well camouflaged and although it looks very similar to a sponge or an ascidian colony. Many velutinids species are very well camouflaged on the ascidian colonies on which they feed. The Wilson’s Velutinid (Mystaconcha wilsoni) grows to at least 5 cm in length.
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