How This Slug Is The Most Beautiful Animal In The World! | Glaucus Atlanticus The “Blue Dragon”

You may be thinking I’m mad, how can a slug be pretty? Are they just boring dull and slimy like the ones I find in my garden?

Actually no, there not.

The Blue Dragon “Glaucus Atlanticus” is very colourful, it’s backside may be grey. However it’s underbelly is bright blue! See below…

Yes!! Believe it or not, this is a sea slug!!

Unfortunatly, like most things in nature! Beautiful also means dangerous! This small slugs sting is very strong! But the Blue Dragon doesn’t produce its own sting. This small animal feeds on its prey, the Portuguese Man O War! And stores the stinging nematocysts created by the prey’s notoriously long, venomous tentacles! This sea slug releases these stingers when threatened or touched, and it’s sting is stronger than the man o war itself!

How does this slug move?

Amazingly the blue gaucus floats on the surface of the water, it manages to do this because of an air bubble in its stomach, because of the position of this bubble the blue glaucus floats on its back, this means it’s bright blue under belly shows on the surface of the water. Luckily this isn’t a problem as the blue blends in well with the surface of the sea. This means that predators such as eagles won’t be able to spot it!

How does it breed?

Well, The blue gaucus, like all nudibranchs, is hermaphroditic, this means it produces both sperm and eggs. However it can not fertilise its own eggs. This means it still needs a partner to mate with.

Final Facts

• They Can only grow to 3cm!!

• A group of blue glaucuses floating together is called a “blue fleet.” These “blue fleets” often wash ashore and can sting people swimming in the water.