Sea Slug With Pizazz!

[mrmoshe]

This was the picture of the day on Wikipedia today...Neat looking creature eh?

Cheers,

Pete.

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Info from Wikipedia: These two Glaucus atlanticus, a species of nudibranch, were washed up on Surfers Paradise Beach in Queensland, Australia. The larger one is about 35 mm (1.4 in) in length. G. atlanticus preys on the Portuguese Man o' War and other surface-dwelling sea animals. Occasionally Glaucus will feed on others of its kind.

This guy looks like a ship from Star Trek... or so I would imagine if I ever watched that kind of show... The fact that they prey on Portugese Man of Wars makes them that much cooler. The name "sea slug" most certainly does not do this piece of real-life science fiction justice.

Glaucus atlanticus

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA

Suborder: AEOLIDINA

Family: Glaucidae

I found these 2 nudibranches washed up on Surfers Paradise Beach in Queensland Australia. The larger one is about 35 mm in length. Glaucus atlanticus are often washed up on beaches along with Physalia Jellyfish (a.k.a Portuguese Man Of War or Bluebottle Jellyfish). The reason for this is that Glaucus feed on Physalia and are also at the mercy of the ocean currents and winds.

Glaucus feed almost exclusively on Physalia, and it appears that they are able to select the MOST venomous of Physalia's stinging cells (nematocysts) for their own use. They store the nematocysts in special sacs (cnidosacs) at the tip of their cerata. (Cerata are the fan-like appendages.) So, NEVER touch these guys!!

[caine]

i have sene one of these at terrigal. my wife took a picture!

will see if she still has it

[Jigholio]

Here's one straight out of science fiction, Phronima H.R. Giger's inspiration for Ridley Scott's alien. A very aggresive little predator that 'steals' jellyfish & makes it home. kind of like a parasitic hermit crab.

With developing offspring inside a 'stolen' jelly

We know more about the surface of the moon than our oceans.

Edited March 5, 2008 by Jigholio

[katsuo]

This was the picture of the day on Wikipedia today...Neat looking creature eh?

Cheers,

Pete.

Thats crazy!!!!! looks like a Monster out of one of those Final fantasy RPG games.