‘Blue Dragon’ Sea Slugs May Look Pretty but Deliver Potent Sting Because of What They Eat
The fantastically named “blue dragon” is an ocean dwelling animal which looks as impressive as it sounds. They are in fact a type of sea slug (nudibranch), but these flashy slugs boast an incredible defense mechanism that sets them apart from their garden-variety cousins.
The blue dragon—Glaucus atlanticus—has been known to scientists for over 300 years. Often ending up in rocky pools between high tides, their beauty belies a fearsome weapon.
To avoid predators, this sea slug ingests the stinging cells of a Portuguese man o’ war (or bluebottle), and cleverly transfers the sting to the tips of its cerata, its wing-like appendages on the sides of its body.