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Glaucus atlanticus is the blue sea slug shown here out of water on a beach, and thus collapsed; however, touching the animal directly with your skin can result in a painful sting, with symptoms similar to those caused by the Portuguese man o' war The slug in the water
The name "sea slug" is often applied to nudibranchs and a paraphyletic set of other marine gastropods without apparent shells. [2] Sea slugs have an enormous variation in body shape, color, and size. Most are partially translucent. The often bright colors of reef-dwelling species imply that these animals are under constant threat of predators ...
The exact systematics of nudibranchs are a topic of recent revision. Traditionally, nudibranchs have been treated as the order Nudibranchia, located in the gastropod mollusc subclass Opisthobranchia (the marine slugs: which consisted of nudibranchs, sidegill slugs, bubble snails, algae sap-sucking sea slugs, and sea hares). [44]
Don't let the beautiful color of the glaucus atlanticus, also known as the "blue dragon," fool you -- its sting is to be feared.
Glaucus is a genus of small blue pelagic sea slugs.They are aeolid nudibranchs, [1] ranging in size from 20 to 40 mm (0.79 to 1.57 in). [2] They feed on colonial cnidarians such as Portuguese man o' wars, blue buttons, and purple sails.
Navanax inermis, common name the California aglaja, is a large species of predatory sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae. Navanax is not a nudibranch, even though it somewhat resembles one; it belongs to a more ancient lineage of opisthobranchs called the cephalaspideans or head shield slugs and snails.
Some sea slugs are very brightly colored. This serves either as a warning, when they are poisonous or contain stinging cells, or to camouflage them on the brightly colored hydroids, sponges, and seaweeds on which many of the species are found. Lateral outgrowths on the body of nudibranchs are called cerata.
In addition to trapping prey, the slug's hood can snap shut and propel the animal away from danger. Predators might overlook the sea slug's transparent body or be startled by its bioluminescence ...