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The black slug, also known as black arion, European black slug, or large black slug, scientific name ''Arion ater'', is a species of large land slug, a terrestrial slug in the family Arionidae, the roundback slugs. ==Description== The size of the slug varies from 10 to 15 cm. Maturity is reached at about 2.5 cm.〔(''Arion ater'' ) at University of Paisley〕 The color of the black slug is generally deep black, but the colouration is variable and this slug can even be white. The general trend is for a darker pigmentation the farther north the species is found. The classification of brown-coloured and rust-coloured "black" slugs is somewhat disputed; the brown variation is sometimes considered to be a separate species, ''Arion rufus'' (Red Slug).〔 Young specimens of black slug do have a brown colour, which is later lost if and when the slug changes color to the mature state.〔 The foot-fringe is black. The tubercles large and elongate. The sole is blackish grey. Juveniles are ivory whitish with black head, but soon become greyish, half-grown animals are often black like adults.Genitalia:Atrium and vagina considerably narrower than spermatheca, oviduct narrow, spermatheca spherical.〔(Animalbase (Welter-Schultes) )〕 The slug covers itself in a thick foul-tasting mucus which serves as both protection against predators as well as a measure to keep moist. It is somewhat difficult to wash off. Like other members of the family Arionidae, the black slug has a pneumostome (breathing hole) on the right side of its mantle through which it breathes. This mantle is the part which in snails secrete a shell, and in this species of slug the mantle contains a resilient protective structure of calcareous granules.〔 File:Arion ater white.png|White variant of the black slug ''Arion ater'' File:Brown slug.JPG|Brown variant of ''Arion ater'' File:Brown_Arion_Ater.jpg|Brown ''Arion ater'' File:TaylorMonographArionAter.jpg|Colour variants of ''Arion ater'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「black slug」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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