Animal Facts #2: Glaucus Atlanticus otherwise known as "blue dragon"

in #nature7 years ago (edited)


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These beautiful blue dragons are a small blue sea slug. When swimming they float upside down by using the surface tension of the water to stay up, where they are carried by the ocean currents and winds. These sea slugs stores stinging nematocysts, which are like a small poisonous spear gun, to be used during defense. Humans who handle the slug could receive a very painful and potentially lethal sting.

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At full maturity they can grow up to lengths of 3 cm (1.2 in). There is evidence that these slugs live throughout the worlds oceans, in temperate and tropical waters. These slugs eat the venomous nemotocysts from the Portuguese man o' war, and store them on their "finger tips" to be used for defense. Somehow these slugs stomachs know not to digest the nemotocysts and instead move them up to their jazz hands.

As you can see they constantly are moving their tips like jazz hands. In these tips is the poisonous nemotocysts. They are extremely beautiful creatures and have many names such as, blue dragon, blue angel, and sea swallow.

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This concludes today's day of animal facts. Every day I will try my best to make a post on a animal. Feel free to comment what animal to do for tomorrow and follow. Thanks for reading.

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Great. Thanks for sharing. I vote for you and begin to follow you. And Resteemed...

Thanks so much. This means alot.

He is so little, but beautiful!