BLUE DRAGON

The Blue Dragon, scientific name (Glaucus Atlanticus) is actually a type of sea slug.

The Blue Dragon is a Pelagic Aeolid Nudibranch. It feeds on other pelagic creatures, including the Blue Button Jellyfish, and the Blue Bottle Jellyfish.
This Nudibranch stores the stinging cells from their prey on the outside of their body instead of digesting them, because of this they have a very painful and potentially dangerous sting. They are around 4cm long, and their heads are blunt with tentacles near their mouths.

Unlike other Sea Slugs, they are able to float because they swallow a bubble of air, because of this they usually wash onto the beaches after strong onshore winds, and are often conveniently accompanied by Blue Button Jellyfish and Bluebottles which are their main food source.

Masters of disguise, its colours provide two types of camouflage. It's blue topside helps them blend in with the reflective surface of the ocean, and offers protection from hungry birds. The silvery bottom half hides the slug from fish looking up from below.

So next time you are strolling along the beach, if you look very carefully you just might see one of these beautiful and unique sea creatures, and remember to look but don't touch.

Photos and content by white.tiger