The Blue Dragon Sea Slug: A Cute but Dangerous Sea Creature!

There exists this cute little dragon that is so small that you can fit several fully grown adults on the palm of your hands; however, if you ever find specimen of these lovely little blue creatures, beware! Do not place them on your hand or you risk injury as this cute little creature is actually quite dangerous.

Similar in power to the Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish, the blue dragon or blue sea slug (Glaucus atlanticus) is quite venomous. Aside from causing a very painful sting, this gastropod could potentially kill a person, especially those who experience severe allergic reaction to its sting.

Considering that the adults only grow up to around 1.2 inches in length and that the creature does look so adorable, it is easy for people to make the mistake of picking it up and studying it on the palm of their hands. You have been warned…

What is quite amazing about the blue dragon sea slug is that it can prey on other pelagic creatures much larger than itself. Perhaps this is due to their stinging power that could subdue their prey.

For example, because they are also quite venomous themselves, it is easy for the blue dragon sea slug to prey on the Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish, a fearsome sea creature that can grow up to 11.8 inches long, with tentacles that are typically 33 feet long but can be up to 160 feet long!

The blue dragon, small as it is, can easily overpower the Portuguese Man o’ War jellyfish – a giant for its size! – and store its venom, concentrating it to create more powerful venom for itself!

That’s really crazy! I wouldn’t want to meet this dangerous little creature, ever!

Source: Wikipedia